Apparently, it’s time for another episode of Therapy with Bron.
It’s totally cool to back out of the room now. Honestly, I probably won’t even notice. I’ll just assume you were looking for the bathroom or something. Maybe you were trying to find the kitchen? I did just make cookies.
Oh? You’re still here?
*passes the cookies*
Okay, so…writing fears and anxieties. I have quite a few, but I’m willing to bet that they’re not all that different from other writers’ issues. We all seem to have a fuckton of them.
I feel like this is one of those topics I could go on and on about ad nauseum, so I’m just going to stick to the biggest, doomiest ones, otherwise we’ll all be here for ages.
So, in the fear and anxiety round-up, there’s the ever popular:
I’ll never have another good idea again.
This one usually hits as I’m about 3/4 of the way through a book. There a little voice that whispers, “This is it. The last book you’ll ever write. You sure you wanna finish it?”
I hate that voice. That voice is a total asshole. Also, that voice is dumb, because the voice and I both know that I have pages and pages of ideas. But somehow, that voice gets me to listen to it, and I suddenly think all the ideas I’d previously loved are shit. Stupid voice.
The people who buy and positively review or otherwise say nice things about my books are just doing it because they’re being kind.
This is a popular one in my head. Like I’m the author version of that kid with the lemonade stand on the corner. You know the one…he was always kinda grubby and sticky-looking and you hoped that he’d just spilled some of the lemonade on himself and got sticky that way. Because you really didn’t want to think about him actually making the lemonade. And the lemonade itself was always weak tasting and uncomfortably warm–but you bought it anyway, ’cause you felt bad for that grubby, sticky kid.
That’s a really long way of saying that sometimes, I’m afraid I’m that grubby, sticky kid on the corner who people feel sorry for, but instead of questionable lemonade, they’re buying books.
I’m a fraud, and someday, my secret will be out, and everyone will know.
This is the garden variety imposter syndrome that I think most authors probably face. It’s that clawing feeling that no matter how well I do, it’s not because I’ve worked hard to learn my craft or have dedicated tons of time and effort writing these books. Nope. It’s all because of some cosmic misalignment of the stars, and when everything goes back to how it’s supposed to be, I’ll be here like this:And everyone will know that I’ve just been faking this whole time.
Okay, so that’s probably more of my neuroses than anyone can comfortably handle in one day, so I say we should all go troop over to Jess and Kris‘ blogs and see what kind of cookies and anxieties they have going on.
Girlfriend, I live where you live. Especially that first one. I’ll never understand why my brain tries to convince me that ideas are finite.
When I’m not actively writing, I get a new idea like every five minutes. But when I put my fingers on the keyboard? All of a sudden, my brain is like, “nope, this is it. This is all you get. Forever.”
Stupid brain.
Brains are simultaneously awesome and dumb. They need to just stick with awesome.
OMG the never get a new idea…that theory is proven wrong on the daily but it’s still there in my head! Come join me in the pool of writing insecurity. The water is not comfortable whatsoever, but I’ve got pool noodles. HUGS!
POOL NOODLES!!! (the only way to stay afloat in this particular pond)
Wow, these are great. I honestly don’t ever worry about not getting another idea. Though I go through the …none are good. You suck! Giving you hugs. And you’ll never be that grubby kid. Trust me.
*HUGS* Thank you, honey.
I didn’t even do this post since I’m living all of it right now. I can’t manage to finish the book I’ve been writing for nearly 2 years because . . . I’m sure it sucks, it’s not right, and no one would want it. Yeah, there we go. *sigh*
*HUGS* Brains need an emergency anxiety shut off button!
I got to this post late because I was all sorts of neck-deep-and-sinking until I got through some stuff. Trust me. You’re not alone, and NONE of us suck. All words are good words.
Thank you for being so awesome. <3
*HUGS* I’m so sorry about the neck-deep-and-sinking feels. <3
First off, you are the only one who offered cookies. Thank you. 😀
Can I be crass and say, I just have to smile at all this. I am sorry, but really? I am not a writer but I have these kinds of feelings on a daily basis just getting out of bed. Isn’t it a normal thing? OMG! I have more work to do then. *hugs* Got your back. Love your stuff and I am not “just being nice!”
It seemed rude not to share. 🙂 I’m beginning to think that all of us everywhere are giant bundles of fear and anxiety. Maybe we’ve been going about this world peace thing all wrong. What we really need are global group therapy sessions. *HUGS* And thank you. <3