Fearing what’s to come can be overwhelming, writes advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith. But facing that fear is a goal in itself
I’ve been working on a novel (and a lot of other writing) for several months now and the time has come to do something with it. Or rather, I’d love to do something with it, because I really want to be a full-time writer one day. But the problem is I’m too scared to undertake action.
I think it’s normal to be a little nervous, but my fear of rejection and failure is just crippling. I can’t stop thinking it’s all not good enough, and that I’ll never make it. I try to break out of this negative pattern of thinking, but in the end I’m still too scared. Is there any way for me to handle this?
Eleanor says: Some of the most euphoric moments of my life have been right after my worst fears were realised. Once I got caught in a rip at Bondi beach at night and learned just how few seconds it would take to drown. Once I thought a horse was going to roll on to me and squish me alive. The others aren’t good stories but were just as frightening before they happened: I was right that I was being cheated on, I was right that so-and-so was going to yell at me, I was right that not everyone would like my writing.
