Afraid to Embark on Your Writing Journey? Tackling Aspiring Writers’ Common Concerns

Den Haag, NL

Here you can find some common concerns writers have to face soon or later. Everytime you ask yourself these questions, feel free to come back to this article to read the answers as many times as you feel, so as to ensure that they are internalized in your heart and mind. 

Let’s begin with… You want to start writing but are afraid to fail?

You should not live with all the “What if.” Don’t live with regrets. Always remember that life is one and you are here to live and to love, nothing else. 

Even if you then fail, it does not always mean that you wasted your time. Failure in the present does not mean failure in the past, it just means new dreams and different goals in the future. 

Moreover, how can you know you will fail if you do not even try? This is called self-sabotage, which has nothing to do with actual skills and capabilities.

If you feel drawn to something, follow it, because even if it will not last forever, it is the right thing to do now.

Secondly… You want to start writing but are afraid people will not like your work?

If you have this concern, always remember why and for whom you are writing. Ask yourself these two simple questions and you will get your answer.

1. This is my passion, my dream. It’s what makes me feel alive, the way I can express myself… (add your own)
2. I write so that I can share my thoughts, feelings and experiences. I write as a way to heal, to bring awareness over certain matters… (add your own)

You can notice that before the others, there will always be yourself. You are writing because and for you, and it is not up to you whether people will agree or disagree, appreciate it or not. There is only one person who will completely get your work, that is, yourself. And then, there will be others who will either see themselves reflected in your writing or not. Your ideas are not meant for everyone, otherwise it would mean they lack personality. If you are able to be the first one to like and appreciate your own work, other people like you will also be able to see that. However, if you are the first one who does not believe in your own work, then don’t expect people to get the "why and for whom" for you. 

Trust yourself, and your work will reflect that to the world. 

Moreover, one thing that leads to frustration are those moments when you would love to write and you also have the time to do so BUT your fingers just cannot type anything. Every sentence you put down does not satisfy you and the entire process of writing suddenly feels so difficult. These moments are completely normal, because writing is not something practical, but something creative, which requires a bit of magic sometimes… This is why it is not a consistent work, but it moves freely like the wind in the sky. 

There are two things you could do when these moments arrive and one thing that you should never do: get frustrated. You could either try to write as much as you can, since it is still practice and at the same time a way to let your thoughts flow, or you could start doing something completely different! If you feel lost and start over, you may find yourself again. 

Let creativity flow through you in multiple ways, get inspired by everything that surrounds you, by your deepest passions. Enjoy those moments, because creativity is asking to delve deeper into yourself. 

It is also worth mentioning that many of us struggle with perfectionism, which can become an insurmountable obstacle along our writing journey. Either we do not start because we already know what we write will never be as perfect as we picture it in our head or we never finish our work because we keep on revising it. Either way, it never looks perfect to us. 

Well, I learned that writing, as life, does not need to be perfect. And the reason here is that we as humans are not perfect beings. Everything we do is imperfect, but precisely because of this it has value, it has feeling, it contains truth: our truth. 

If you are still not satisfied with your work, remind yourself that practice makes perfect. Writing is like learning to ride a bike, learning how to ski: you first need to get comfortable with the tools, then you need to fall so as to learn how to master them.  Look at your mistakes, at all your imperfections as the fresh paint on a white canva. Color your canva with the colours of your life, do not leave it white! 

Remember that in order to become a successful writer, you only need three things:

1. Perseverance: you do not allow anybody to let you down. Once you have an idea you go for it. This helps a lot while writing a book since it is a process that requires time. It is not consistent, since sometimes it can happen to be busy with life or to lack inspiration. However, if you believe in your ideas, you will persevere with your work. Additionally, you will draw inspiration from those same breaks that slowed you down. You will see them as part of the process. 
2. Curiosity: Writing is all about curiosity. Curiosity is embedded in every part of the process: the formulation of the idea, the creation of the plot, the evolution of the characters throughout time and your own growth while writing the story. Curiosity is a driving force not only to write, but also to learn and grow. 
3. Passion: You must be passionate about life. Find the wonders in every small detail of the world. See how they spark imagination and feelings inside of you. Transmit that to the paper. 

Finally… You want to start writing but don’t know where to start? 

I suggest you have a look at Blue-Sky Spirit’s “Booklet for Aspiring Writers.” Indeed, I created a short and easy-to-follow guide for whoever wants to approach writing for the first time or would like to build more solid foundations!

Hopefully I’ll see you there!!

- Chiara