FEAR – False Emotions Appearing Real
There has never been a more potent aspiration killer than the ominous four-letter word that has nothing to do with who you are and what you are capable of as a creative.
It is a trick the mind plays on your faulty thoughts, amplifying what you have come to perceive about yourself or what you are about to do and magnifying the intensity of that thought in all the wrong directions.
Deciding to become an author is the easy part but eventually starting is always the hardest. There are a trillion reasons why you should pursue becoming an author, same as there are a million and one reasons why you’d chicken out at the last minute – that’s where FEAR comes in to take the throne.
The amount of time you give to the negative aspects of becoming an author, the more inclined you are to forgo the benefits and prestige that come with writing your own story and putting yourself out there.
Here are the 7 Greatest Fears Of Every Aspiring /Budding Author at the start of their careers and positive affirmations to conquer them.
1. I’m Not Good Enough
In the ocean of so many renowned authors, however, will I be able to compete with such greatness? Where do I begin to rank up to these people? How can make a difference with my story when there are so many better creative works out there that surpass mine in every way?
You are UNIQUE. So, begin by being YOU.
You are not in competition with anyone, only yourself. It is worthless and a waste of time to begin your journey thinking about how to rank up when you should be more focused on becoming better at being You.
Every author has a unique voice, a different approach, and a different perspective on things that will always make you stand out. Do not think, ever, that no one will read your story before you even begin to write it.
Why allow a possibility that has even occurred yet to hinder your decision to share your story with the world. We live in a world where value knows no gender or status and opportunity doesn’t select by experience.
You can be the next big hit, all you have to do is affirm that you are willing to give your decision a shot to sprout and grow, believe it and go for it.
2. I Can’t Write Great Stories
Yes, You Can.
No author began writing such great stories from their very first book. I’m sure, if you searched under the pile of your favorite author's catalog, you’d find some jaw-dropping books that'd make you wonder how they ever wrote such a story.
It’s called Growth.
Learning and development is a continuous process in every aspect of your life, so, it’s no different when you decide to become an author. You’d have to learn and unlearn some things so you can grow.
Start small, find your voice, understand your writing patterns, write out what you are passionate about, make a list of what drives you or things you’d like to change then piece these together and pick you’re your genre from there.
Play around with your stories, write them short at first and weigh the feel. If it doesn’t sit well with you, change it up a bit and try something new, until you become more confident in your abilities as a writer.
This is the best to become more informed about the kind of stories you are passionate about, then go all in and develop yourself in that area, learning all you can about writing books in that genre.
With each story you craft, you grow a little better and an inch closer to writing great stories. It’s not a secret gotten from Jupiter, it’s reality.
3. Nobody Will Read My Stories
For the love of all that is fair, stop limiting yourself with words that have proven to be faulty over and again. Who told you that nobody will read your books? That’s a blatant, flat-out lie.
Your story is a reflection of your experiences in life, your values, beliefs, core passion, and perception which will resonate with someone. If you are sharing a story of what you have experienced in life, there’s someone out there who is, was, or might be going through such at the moment and needs your words to guide them through that dark path.
Do not underestimate the power of words, it is the most powerful tool and a gift that can make or break a person.
Someone out there needs your story. So, write it.
4. I Don’t Know How/Where To Begin
Excuses will not get you far, so also will beginning on the wrong foot hinder your progress in the long run. As much as you shouldn’t allow the phobia of newly starting to overwhelm you, do not dive in headfirst without the proper knowledge.
In my resource ebook: Authors: Get It Right From The Start I made a detailed checklist of the four major parts of beginning the writing journey every budding author should take advantage of before starting.
Mistakes were made, and lessons were learned, which led to the creation of this ebook, which is available to help guide you through your uncertainties about starting.
By the time you’re done implementing the 30 things on that checklist, I’m pretty sure you'll be a lot more confident about putting yourself out there and making history with your literary works.
5. Being An Author Is Not Profitable
I beg to disagree.
Being an author provides you with various opportunities to tap into, paves the way for recognition, awards you with the prestigious badge of honor of becoming a published author, and can make you a nice income when you begin to gain traction.
These will not happen overnight. It won’t happen in three months or six months, but with dedication and commitment, in time, it will.
Becoming an author doesn’t limit you to only writing books, there are several other options to choose from, but you’ve got to master the skills involved in professionally utilizing those options.
I'll recommend you get this ebook: Create, Distribute and Monetize Your Content From Anywhere to Everywhere. This will help you have a solid foundation on how to monetize your content and grow from scratch.
Do not shy away from pursuing your passion and embracing your creativity because of the perception of others towards it. Know your onions and the rest will follow.
6. Being An Author Is Time Consuming
Everything good thing comes at a price. What is worth doing, is worth doing well.
Studying is time-consuming, yet we give four to six unguaranteed years of our lives to it. Your work is time-consuming, yet you spend 8-10 hrs. of your life doing something that isn’t yours to keep. You have no time for yourself, yet you spend 3-4hrs on social media, just scrolling past funny videos and having a hearty laugh after the end of a long day.
You may love your job, but it isn’t yours to keep or own. School is important so we learn and develop more on what we've learned. Social is great, but it’s another man’s platform, we only rented a room there for as long as we are allowed.
If you did all the above, why then, won’t you make out time to create a digital portfolio to call your own. Why won’t you take 1hr out of the 3hrs spent on social media and dedicate it yourself?
Is it so much to ask, that you’d rather not pursue your passion but choose to work passionately on someone else’s?
Think about it.
7. What Will People Think About Me
That right there is the biggest bullshit of all – pardon my language.
I write Erotica and Contemporary Romance and I’m proud of it. Did I feel the same way at first as you’re feeling now, yes?
It wasn’t easy opening up about how much I wanted to not write non-fiction and just dive into writing steamy, toe-curling stories about guilty pleasures and wanton desires, but eventually I realized that what people thought about me didn’t stop my name from being on the cover of these books and having the published tag on it.
The perception of others didn’t make me less creative or stop the readers on various platforms from reading these books and enjoying them, so, why should you?
Learn The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck – it’s an actual book by the way – and Appreciate Your Gift of Creativity – this is also an actual older blog post of mine – because Your Craft is Nothing to Be Ashamed Of – another blog post of mine.
People will always think something about you, why not give them a good reason to spread the word better and draw more attention to yourself for all the right reasons.
This is reality. Let them talk. Just do you.
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Overcoming your FEAR as an aspiring/budding author with high hopes and expectations will not happen overnight. It'll take you some time to toughen it out and grow a thick skin especially when you begin to gain traction and the reviews start pouring in.
Take out time to make a list of what you are afraid of, then strike them out by writing a positive affirmation beside it and reading it aloud anytime you feel those false emotions rising to the surface.
Dear Author, you can do this.