Friday, January 02, 2009

The Only Thing We Have To Fear...

I'm a fan of the Tent Hamm's blog, The Simple Dollar. Not every post is something I can use, but a lot of them are. And every once in a while, a post comes along that just slips right into my brain like a key in a lock. This one was one of those. It's a review of a book called Get Everything Done by Mark Forester. Sounds like something a writer could use, doncha think?

One of the points that Trent talks about really struck me as uber important (especially for writers):

11. Resistance: The Signpost to Where You Should Be Going
Forster argues that the task that we feel the most resistance towards doing is the task that is usually the most important to get done sooner rather than later. We usually feel resistance because we have negative feelings toward that task - either we simply don’t want to do it or we’re afraid to do it for some reason. Digging into those reasons is usually fruitful, as is directly tackling any and all tasks that we feel resistance towards.

Wow. Haven't you felt that way about writing sometimes? Like it's the most important task we have to do and yet the one we put off the most. I know I treat it that way sometimes. And I know why - it's fear. Fear that I won't put good writing on the page, or that I won't do justice to my ideas. Or fear that I'm writing yet another book that will get rejected.

This is one of the main things I want to conquer this year. What about you? Do you ever feel this way about your writing? What is it you fear?

7 comments:

  1. You mean ironing is something I fear?? LOL
    Actually, I'm at the end of my wip and keep procrastinating. Grrr. I'm probably afraid that the ending will stink.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have been feeling that way about my writing lately. And it is fear - fear that the writing will suck, fear that it won't be good enough. I like the way you put it - fear that I won't do justice to my ideas.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow that paragraph was profound, and right on the money though I'd never thought of it that way before. Yes I get that way about my writing - I get that way about a few things. I might need to pick up this book. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  4. My fear is getting stuck in the middle of my WIP and fear that it totally sucks.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I fear a lot of things where writing is concerned, but I always have a fear about halfway through a manuscript that I won't be able to finish. Like, I'll just run out of scenes and ideas. *shudder* I also fear that when I'm through with something, that I'll run out of ideas for my next story.

    ReplyDelete
  6. we have nothing to fear but fear itself. I like to embrace it, as I'm leaping off the ledge.

    Anywhoodle, enough about me and my adrenaline junkie issues.
    (Psst- I have a new blog kittah. http://tundrasirens.blogspot.com
    come visit if you feel in the mood.)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Plus I felt this way about Christmas shopping this year. It all just looked so overwhelming. I'm going to check out this blog and especially this book. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete