Overcoming the Fear of Hitting Publish: A Writer’s Journey
In 2013, I wrote my first blog post with fearless enthusiasm, unaware of SEO, headers, or citation rules. Ignorance was bliss. Years later, after honing my skills on my sports blog, I was thrilled when a US sports platform accepted my application to write for them. But with that opportunity came an unexpected fear: the fear of hitting publish. In this article, I am going to discuss fear, procrastination and how to deal with fear.
I love writing, but I was terrified of what people might think of my articles. I was nervous about including incorrect data, and I fretted over the number of views I would receive. But I know many writers share this fear. It’s as if my gremlin was sitting on my shoulder shouting “that’s shit, rewrite it.” Over time, I’ve learned to write without carrying the burden of that fear. I’ve dressed my gremlin in a clown outfit, and when he appears, I give him a smack on the nose! He’s the dumb m*********r, not me.
Overcoming the fear
The fear of publishing is a common hurdle that many writers face, but it’s one that can be conquered. This article will explore the roots of this fear, its impact on both personal growth and audience engagement, and provides practical strategies to overcome it. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, learning to push past this fear is essential for sharing your voice with the world.
Do you resonate with the feelings of anxiety, uncertainty, dubious, hesitant? Yeah, we’ve all been there. But guess what, you’re a writer, just like me and just like the person who is paid to write at the New York Times. We should be applauding independent journalism. We are writers, we are proud, and we love what we do.
I’m studying the art of self-mastery, and conquering or learning to control your fear is a crucial step toward growth. So let’s get into conquering the fear.
Understanding the Fear
Fear is wired into our brains. Arguably all of us have experienced the fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of losing a loved one, or fear of losing money. Fear is a powerful emotion controlled by the amygdala, and the fears we experience today are way different to those experienced by our ancestors. Unless you’re sleeping out in the bush, you’re unlikely to be mauled by a beast of the wilderness.
Fear is a powerful emotion controlled by the amygdala The fears we experience today are way different to those experienced by our ancestors.
To survive, we need our amygdala to function, but it’s ancient apect of our makeup. It’s a kind of pre-windows (or in my case, pre-MacOS) software. The trick is to not let the amygdala rule you. After all, the health department doesn’t offer cognitive upgrades, so it’s up to us to rewire our thoughts.
Here’s American buddhist and author Pema Chodron to explain how to defeat fear by connecting with courage.
Pema spoke of meditating, because she believes it is training to stay present to what might arise. By writing this article, I’m moving towards fear (the stretch zone). Why? Because I’m learning about the art of self-mastery, I’m moving away from my comfort zone and into my stretch zone, and I’m talking to you about my experience. I know you won’t judge me (smacks my gremlin).
The stretch zone is the landscape just beyond our comfort zone, a place where we’re challenged and pushed to try new things, take risks, and to step outside of our normal and comfortable routines. Many of us entered the stretch zone when we first wrote.
Is learning satisfying? I believe it’s amazing. By embracing my fear, I’m allowing myself to grow, and feel open to the world. I’d argue the LGBTQ community have mastered the art of fear. Many live in communities that are not welcoming to LGBTQ members. Pride marches are more ubiquitous than ever, allowing people to express their feelings.
Dealing with Perfectionism and imposter syndrome
One of my favourite hobbies is creating digital art, whether it be a poster or a logo. At times, my obsession with getting it right drove me insane. It’s during my creative periods when my gremlin gets louder than an AC/DC concert. He’s a mouthy SOB, but I’ve threatened him with a one way ticket to the moon! Self doubt is a form of fear, and that’s a nice Segway to the next topic.
Let’s talk about imposter syndrome. Here’s a real life example of someone who considered the imposter syndrome, and thought ***k it, I’m doing it anyway. That person is me, and this is a quote from an article I wrote yesterday.
“But there’s loads of publications on self-mastery.” I hear you say. Imagine if nobody had bothered to follow up on The Wright Flyer, or if physicists and chemists hadn’t bothered to pursue Marie Curie’s work on radioactivity.
There’s more than one way to bake a cake. Ask yourself this. How many times have you read an article in an established newspaper or magazine and thought what a load of crap? A poorly written sports article published in a well-known British tabloid was the catalyst for my writing journey.
The Impact of the Fear
Your article is no less worthy than mine or the one written for National Geographic, and failing to show up inhibits growth. We’re all on a learning trajectory influenced by trends, technology, and our ability to learn new skills. Some will have a steep trajectory, while others will be more gradual.
Recently, the world commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Normandy invasion. Among the reasons the Allies defeated Hitler was because of the incredible Spitfire. Imagine if R.J. Mitchell hadn’t shown up at the drawing board to design a modern fighter plane. Similarly, think of the impact on the world if Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak hadn’t shown up to create Apple. The world works in mysterious ways, and your contributions matter.
Don’t ever forget a golden rule of writing — your audience needs you! Think about that for a moment. The idea came from you, and you won’t know if it will have any benefit until you hit publish. Can you imagine a world without literature?
Here’s another way to look at things. I’m pretty sure that there are plenty of articles on this topic. Nonetheless, if I hadn’t stepped out of my comfort zone and researched this article, I wouldn’t have learned about the amygdala.
Strategies to Overcome the Fear
Just get on with it. It’s a direct approach, that works for some. During my two years at the Army Apprentice College, instructors barked the words “Hurry the ***k up” time and time again. I remember being ordered to dive, face forward off a 5 metre platform. Oddly, I still remember that day, 30 years on.
Have you watched Tom Hanks’ Band of Brothers? In episode one, members of 2/506 make their first parachute jumps. Prior to the jump, the instructor is very clear. Any hesitations at the door will result in failure.
Evolve your thinking. The example I gave on researching this article is a great way to evolve your thinking. Researching topics is bloody fascinating, I love it, and it’s an important process. The actual writing is one part of the process, hitting publish is the final act of journey.
I’m not telepathic, but I’ll bet some of you will look at authors and think, OMG, they’ve got 5,000 followers. So what? This is my second day on Medium, and I think I have three followers. You have no way of knowing if a writer with four digit followers has paid for advertisements. They could also be the head of a large organisation with a huge internal following. Don’t worry about it. That’s the key message here. My writing serves as a reference point, and so does yours.
Embrace imperfection and the learning process. It’s ok to experiment. In recent weeks (yes weeks) I’ve learned to relax my language. Today is the first time I’ve written about my Gremlin. Update! He’s sat chained up, staring at the blender. I make no apologies if that sounds gross, but he’s been a real pain in the ass and my biggest barrier to reaching my peak.
Viewing writing as on the job learning is a great way to adopt the process. Wordpress and Squarespace are platforms I am well versed in, but spending a small fortune on domains and hosting, and the lack of community support are the main factors for my decision to publish on Medium.
Remember, just write. You’re in charge and there’s nothing stopping you editing and republishing your article. Last week, a global platform published an article on the Premier League’s annual conference. The author (and editor) misspelled the host town! Shit happens, and nobody got hurt.
Community support. Community support is a big feature in Medium. Reach out. There’s absolutely no shame in asking for advice.
Proof read. Ugh! The least favourite subject of all. Proofreading is important, but like the Premier League article, mistakes can be made.
Writing Success Stories
Stephen King’s Carrie was rejected by 30 publishers. “We are not interested in science fiction which deals with negative utopias. They do not sell,” one letter said. Since 1974, King has sold millions of copies. Just imagine if he’d given up.
According to Writing Routines, J.K. Rowling’s original manuscript for Harry Potter was rejected by 12 different publishing houses. Holy s***! One literary agent warned, “You do realize, you will never make a fortune out of writing children’s books?” I’d love to meet those publishing houses who rejected Rowling’s books.
Conclusion
Thank you for taking the time to read my article. We’ve looked at some common fears, including the dreaded Gremlin, who in my case outstayed his welcome. We’ve discussed ways to overcome those fears, and I’ve reinforced the notion that your work really does matter.
Pressing publish is a sign of growth, and there’s a lot of merit in what you’re doing. Remember, writing takes time and planning; it requires consistency, patience, and motivation. Your final key takeaway is that you’ll never truly understand the impact of your article until you hit publish.
Your Say
In a world of endless development, I’d love to hear your endeavours with overcoming fear. Maybe you’re the one who coaches others in how to suppress those inhibitions. I can’t wait to hear your side of the story, so let me know in the comments section.
Recommended Reading
Stephen King — On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
This article was written by John Wozniak, a freelance writer, sustainability consultant and tamer of Gremlins.
