When it comes to the things that keep us from writing, you’ll see the usual villains pop up. Lack of time is a big one, as are the various other life distractions that take us away from the keyboard.
But based on my personal experience, there’s a nasty demon hiding behind the excuses we make. This four-letter word represents a condition we don’t like to admit to ourselves, much less utter in polite conversation.
Yep, it’s the “F” word.
Fear.
Fear affects us all more than we care to admit, and it’s especially insidious for writers. Writing online is one of those activities where you’re really putting yourself out there, and the critics are always waiting to pounce. But as we’ll see below, failure and mediocrity are not the only things we fear.
Most fear works at the subconscious level and manifests itself in the form of procrastination and writer’s block. We want to write that novel or business book, start that killer blog, release that article or white paper that boosts our business authority… and yet we keep putting it off.
I don’t like to waste time on regret, because, well, it’s a waste of time. But looking back, I see I’ve wasted so much time in my writing life because I let fear hold me back.
And the truth is, every time I push myself in a new direction, I’m still afraid. I don’t think that ever changes—it’s just part of the game.
The key is to not let it stop you.
Here are the main ways fear holds us back as writers, with a few tips for looking fear in the face and sitting down to work. Remember, courage is not the absence of fear, it’s doing what needs to be done despite fear.
Fear of Failure
Countless psychological studies have shown that the fear of failure is the number one barrier to personal success. We fear failure because we don’t separate tasks from ourselves, and therefore our self-esteem is at risk every time we attempt to do anything we really want to achieve.
In other words, we’re afraid of being humiliated, because at the subconscious level, we link failure to humiliation. So how do we get over our fear of failure and its misguided companion humiliation?
- Admit you’re afraid to fail.
- Realize that every time you fail, you’ve become a better writer.
- Recognize that each failure brings you one step closer to success.
- Relish the learning experience, and reject the illusion of humiliation.
Fear of Success
Why in the world should we fear success? That’s what we want, right? Well, the way we idealize success can cause us to subconsciously avoid it, because we know from experience that success brings unexpected changes along for the ride.
We worry that we don’t really deserve success, or that success will bring increased expectations that we won’t be able to meet. We’re afraid our friends and family will be resentful or jealous, and that the responsibility that comes with success will overwhelm us. In other words, our vivid imaginations talk us out of doing the things we need to do in order to succeed, just so we can avoid unexpected change.
Remember these things to fight back against the fear of success:
- Change comes whether you succeed or fail. Why not succeed?
- Babe Ruth held the home run record and the strikeout record simultaneously. Keep swinging for the fences.
- You own your labor, not the fruits of your labor. Do what you love and don’t worry about the consequences.
Fear of Rejection
Our fear of rejection is the most obvious and overt of all the influences that keep us from writing. The high incidence of alcohol and drug abuse among those who seek the writing life can often be traced directly back to the simple fear that our work is not good enough, and that a rejection of it is a rejection of us.
How do we avoid our fear of rejection? Easy, we don’t do anything. That may be one way to solve the problem, but it leads to an unfulfilled life and self-destructive tendencies.
- Remember, you’ll never please everyone. You only have to find and please your audience.
- Treat writing as an exercise. The fact that you can’t bench press 300 pounds today doesn’t make you less of a person, but you can work towards it, right?
- Feed on rejection. Make it your own, and put it to work for you to become better and stronger.
Fear of Mediocrity
Writer Dorothy Parker couldn’t meet a deadline to save her life, because she said for every five words she wrote, she erased seven. Our fear of mediocrity manifests itself as perfectionism, and perfectionism prevents us from simply putting things out there and resolving to get better over time. With that approach, we fail to achieve anything at all.
Right now, if I think about it, I’ll realize that this article is never going to be good enough, no matter how long I spend on it. In fact, what the hell am I doing writing a blog anyway? Is this what I was put on this planet to do?
Then I take a deep breath, and move on to the tips for dealing with the fear of mediocrity.
- No one will ever be perfect, so let it go.
- Action beats inaction every time.
- Accomplishing anything feels better than accomplishing nothing.
Fear of Risk
Is it really better to be safe than sorry? Sometimes, yes. But when it comes to your writing dreams and goals, being safe is a fate worse than death. Not only do your dreams die, but you get to live the rest of your life knowing it.
Our brains work against us here. We’re designed to embrace consistency, safety and familiarity, but those who dare to seek unfamiliar territory claim the spoils. In truth, no matter how much you achieve, you’ll need to keep pushing into new areas and purposely scaring yourself, so just get used to it.
- What’s the worse that could happen? Often, it’s not really all that bad.
- Risk-taking breeds self-confidence. Every time you survive, you thrive.
- Look before you leap? Just jump.
In Summary
Yes, writing is scary stuff. But compared to being eaten by a lion while out foraging for food, you’ve got it good. Understanding that you’re your own worst enemy when it comes to writing is invaluable, because you can conquer that enemy just by deciding to.
So… just do it.
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88 comments... add one
#1 Mason Hipp → 11.26.07 at 11:59 am
It’s always been clear to me that the more important a writing project is, the more difficult it is for me to complete. Press releases and guest posts, for example, are two of the most difficult for me. They are the hardest because I think they matter the most—and I’m always afraid of mediocrity.
I wonder though: assuming we do eventually get the project completed, do you think that fear can be a good thing? I know that in my case it practically guarantees an edited, reread, proofread, and polished product.
I think without that fear there might be a lot more garbage floating around.
Thanks for a great post, and discussion topic too.
#2 Mark Dykeman → 11.26.07 at 12:09 pm
From my own perspective, I do some things in my blogging that would be considered amateurish or crude. The fact is that I am learning as I go, so I’ll accept that I’ll make mistakes. I also know that I am improving as I learn the “rules” and get more experience.
As it’s been said before, “fear is the mind-killer”.
Excellent article topic and excellent article!
#3 Melissa Chang → 11.26.07 at 12:12 pm
I would like to add another fear that often holds people back - Fear of Change.
This is a big one for me.
And summed up beautifully in this article from Hugh MacLeod.
#4 Lea Woodward → 11.26.07 at 12:19 pm
A good question to ask yourself when you’re not sure whether what you’re doing is the right thing to do or not, is this…
“What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”
Great post!
#5 Michael Dick → 11.26.07 at 12:43 pm
I enjoy writing a lot however you summed it up by saying that writing for a blog just “puts your writing out there” … and it’s just so much more fearful knowing your work will be “out there!”
#6 James Chartrand - JCM Enterprises → 11.26.07 at 12:45 pm
Good post. We wrote about fears lately but you drive the message home much better than we do (no fear of making mistakes here; they’re good for self-improvement).
What always strikes me as ironic, though, is that we’re often told to do away with fear, to be more confident. And yet those who are more confident, who lack no fear and who go after what they want, are often put down by those who hold themselves back.
The line seems to be how much individuals display their lack of fear to others. Flaunt it too much, and you’re muttered about behind your back. Hold it in too much, and you become a wallflower. Tough call.
#7 bakkouz → 11.26.07 at 12:51 pm
I think for bloggers, especially the ones with a modest amount of readers, fear of rejection is the dominant one, bloggers who have a wide audience are already established and surely would not have this problem, while bloggers with a modest or small audience always have this monkey on their shoulders, always wondering if what they’re writing is good enough or likable.
#8 Dan and Jennifer → 11.26.07 at 1:00 pm
Well put Brian. The “F” word keeps so many people from getting ahead, it’s really amazing.
@ James
“And yet those who are more confident, who lack no fear and who go after what they want, are often put down by those who hold themselves back.”
- The other part of pushing forth bravely is ignoring the fools playing armchair referee. Follow your heart, take what is constructive from those willing to give feedback (good or bad) and be even more successful next time.
On the other side of the spectrum… there’s a funny thing on feedback… it’s so hard to get honest feedback from people, except the few how spew the negative stuff gratuitously. :-)
We recently did a complete redesign of our site - and we didn’t ask our friends what they thought about it. Rather, we asked them one simple question: “What one thing would you change to make it better?”
There’s a great quote we picked up in “Illusions” (awesome book, btw):
“Live life in such a way that you will never be ashamed if something you did is published around the world. Even if what is published is not true.”
To be a truly successful entrepreneur, it really helps to put your money where your mouth is on that.
Onward - no fear! :-)
D&J
#9 James Chartrand - JCM Enterprises → 11.26.07 at 1:08 pm
@ Dan and Jen - Agreed. I’m all for taking criticism of any kind, learning from it, and coming out better in the end. Honest feedback, good or bad, is manna. That’s a good trick (the “one thing to change” question), by the way. I’ll be using that one.
@ Bakkouz - It makes no difference for bloggers, big or small, established or not. Humans all want and crave acceptance. Remember, instincts tell us there is safety in acceptance. Some people deal better with less acceptance, some don’t - but yes, a large readership does reassure that a blogger is liked and respected and thus quenches much of that fear.
#10 Why should we be afraid to write? Are we afraid? → 11.26.07 at 1:12 pm
[…] because I just read a very interesting post on “The Copyblogger” website regarding the impact fear has on our writing, especially our writing habits and output. (If I haven’t recommended “The Copyblogger” to you before, I am doing so now.) I […]
#11 Dan Schawbel → 11.26.07 at 1:19 pm
I think you need to fail, in order to grow and mature.
#12 Olivia → 11.26.07 at 2:10 pm
Fear of mediocrity is my biggest buggagoo. I’m so worried that whatever I write will be laughed at or harshly criticized. But you’re right when you say it can never be perfect. So why not just do your best and then let the chips fall where they may.
#13 JoLynn Braley → 11.26.07 at 2:13 pm
Brian, excellent excellent topic and post, fear being exactly what has been at the root of my blogging progress lately!
I notice that when I first started blogging I wasn’t as afraid, I was much more joyous about the experience, and now I’ve become filled with so many fears, fears that can be immobilizing when it comes to writing and doing what needs to be done to progress with a blog.
Since I don’t want to be immobilized, I got out my book “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway” by Susan Jeffers, and was reminded that the feeling of fear never goes away, no matter how successful you become! The thing is that you don’t want to stop yourself from taking action just because of the feeling of fear, and to remember that whatever happens, you will handle it. This doesn’t mean that I’m cured of my fears, but I can say that even by publishing this comment that I’m not allowing my fear and perfectionism hold me back from taking action.
Thanks Brian!
#14 Lisa Gates → 11.26.07 at 2:21 pm
As a coach, this is really familiar ground. My take: put the cart before the horse. Jump. We can all plan until the cows come home. But plannin without action is siding with the bugaboo saboteur rather than future you’re living into…
#15 David Finch → 11.26.07 at 2:37 pm
Fear in any form is paralyzing. However, the greatest weapon against fear is pushing through the “feelings” and experience the relief on the other side. The only way to deal with fear is attack it and realize the illusion that most fear presents.
I’ve allowed fear many times to keep me from “doing,” but was elated when I realized I was wrong at the things I had feared.
The sad thing is fear can be felt, the awesome thing though is fear can be overcome.
Great post, Brian!!
#16 Adam Snider → 11.26.07 at 2:51 pm
Great post, Brian. It really hits the mark. I’ll be honest, I’ve avoided a lot of potential writing jobs because of fears of one form or another.
This post will remind me to not let that happen again (or, at least, not as often).
#17 angela wd → 11.26.07 at 2:53 pm
Well said! Fear of mediocrity is a big issue for me. Things never sound as good on the written page as they did in my head. The worlds I imagine for my fiction come out flatter than I imagined them to be.
#18 joeB → 11.26.07 at 3:00 pm
Thanks Brian for uplifting my spirit on this rainy Monday. The truth always wins out and fear is a factor in everyone’s life whether they admit this to theirselves or not. Change does cause fear! Your post will help us to remember not to let fear bring us down! Failures do bring growth!
Best Regards,
joeB
#19 Nick → 11.26.07 at 3:01 pm
I read this blog all the time, and this is one of the best posts I’ve seen on it.
I’ve never seen anyone sum up writer’s block so well, or give any real advice on how to overcome it. I feel like I will return to this post every time I’m having trouble coming up with words (or ideas for any art project).
Thank you!
#20 Pensacola Real Estate News → 11.26.07 at 3:10 pm
Right now I think what keeps me from writing is the fear of time spent. I used to think of a topic and figure I could spend an hour and get a nice post. Now I find that as I get involved in writing the article, more ideas come and it expands, and next thing you know, I’m into it for over 2 hours, my wife is pissed because I’m obsessively tying up the computer and I should have been in bed 2 hours ago. So for me it would be fear of commitment because I know once I’m commited, my time is taken. And then I feel it from my wife, my kids, and my tired butt dragging out of bed the next morning. Thanks for the good post. - Karl
#21 Hope Wilbanks @ HopeWrites.com → 11.26.07 at 3:22 pm
You are so right! It really does boil down to that nasty little “F” word.
Personally, when I ghostwrite for clients, I find it freeing because MY name isn’t attached to it. For some reason, knowing I have that anonymity frees me to write with the “F” word hanging over my head.
On the contrary, when I actively seek publication in a manner where my name and bio is attached to the piece, I immediately freeze up and can’t write a single word that makes any sense.
This is something I will DEFINITELY be working on more in the next few months to come. I *must* conquer that dirty little “F” devil, one way or another. ;)
#22 Susan → 11.26.07 at 3:59 pm
Oh, how I love this post. Talk about calling me out on the carpet. :) I remember, way back when, I interned at a local tv station. On the trip out to my first interview, the photographer realized I was extremely nervous. He was a gruff old guy who had seen it all, and he barked at me, “Relax for geez sakes! It’s not brain surgery!” I don’t think I relaxed, but I jumped into the interview with both feet. :)
#23 Pat B. Doyle → 11.26.07 at 4:11 pm
I agree, Brian! My problem in the past has always been perfectionism, or as you put it “Fear of Mediocrity”. Lately I have been able to accomplish a lot more, just by being aware of this, so I can tell myself stuff like “Don’t be silly - no one is perfect” etc. Then I just go ahead and do it. You are so right in saying that “Action beats inaction every time.” :)
#24 rickey gold → 11.26.07 at 4:14 pm
What a fabulous post! Well-written, to-the-point and fun.
It occurred to me that all of the “f words” could apply to a number of tasks besides writing…like following up on story pitches, crafting proposals or anything else where rejection, mediocrity and fear of the results of success apply. Thanks, Brian. I’m sharing this with my creative colleagues.
#25 Pat B. Doyle → 11.26.07 at 4:14 pm
(Oops, sorry - pasted in the wrong url for my blog - talk about not being perfect…)
#26 jennifer blanchard → 11.26.07 at 4:22 pm
I have to tell you, I accidentally stumbled across this website and I am SO GLAD that I did! This blog pin-points me exactly! It tells me every reason I do what I do with my writing, and everything I need to do to keep writing. I now have a new quote hanging in my cube: “Courage is not the absence of fear, it’s doing what needs to be done despite the fear.”
Thanks for such a great post, I’ll be back for more!
#27 ideaXchange » Blog Archive » great post on writer’s block (in case anyone here deals with that) → 11.26.07 at 4:43 pm
[…] Clark has penned a terrific post: “The Nasty Four-Letter Word That Keeps You From Writing” on copyblogger (which happens to be a terrific blog if I haven’t already mentioned it). This […]
#28 Lin → 11.26.07 at 5:30 pm
Very good points Brian. I knew I’d be glad that I subscribed to your blog, and this post proves just that.
Not everyone will like or agree with everything we write. For every post published, I believe that one person may think it’s great and well written, while the very next person will think it sucks and leave you a nasty comment telling you how much you suck. Just let it roll right off your back. No one, and I mean no one, always writes perfect posts.
#29 Pito’s Blog » Blog Archive » Pito Salas blogs about technology, life and everything → 11.26.07 at 5:47 pm
[…] BlogBridge, of course) . Welcome, and thanks for visiting!Over on Copyblogger, a good reminder of a bit of common wisdom: “[snip…]Yep, it’s the “F” word.Fear.Fear affects us all more than we care to […]
#30 James Chartrand - JCM Enterprises → 11.26.07 at 5:53 pm
@ Lin - Even Brian?
#31 Brian Clark → 11.26.07 at 5:56 pm Copyblogger
Especially Brian. :)
#32 James Chartrand - JCM Enterprises → 11.26.07 at 6:05 pm
*groans* If that’s true, then I have a long, long way to go.
#33 Marcel Legros → 11.26.07 at 6:33 pm
The fear of failure, success, rejection, etc., are all normal reactions and we wouldn’t be human without them. How we deal with fear is what separates failure from success.
If I know I’m afraid and avoiding something, I go and do it anyway. I know I have two choices - be afraid and definitely fail, or be afraid and possibly fail. My chances for success are always better when I try, even when I’m not sure of myself.
Best of Luck,
Marcel Legros
http://www.marcellegros.com/
#34 Brian → 11.26.07 at 8:03 pm
I just started reading Immediate Fiction, by Jerry Cleaver, today. He echoes your sentiments.
Thanks for reminding us it’s not really any tangible thing that slows down our writing. We do it to ourselves.
#35 Graham Lutz, The Young Capitalist → 11.26.07 at 8:14 pm
I think fear of mediocrity is the one for me! probably because mediocrity=failure in my book.
#36 Cynthia Morris → 11.26.07 at 8:15 pm
Yes, yes, yes, all so true. I coach people who want to write and much of the time is spent fending off these very fears.
I’d also add another: fear of wasting time.
People are very reluctant to write the c**p that we must inevitably start with. They cringe when I say they may get one good page out of every 50. In our hurry up, get it done, get it right culture, people are often afraid to waste time, look bad and be a beginner.
Once we expose that, the writing can become much more fun and freeing.
I personally got over my writing fears by giving myself five years to write without worrying about it being any good or publishable. It really freed me up to be a beginner and try all kinds of things.
Not that I’m not afraid that my novel will s**k and won’t get published. I just don’t care so much about the fear. I’ve embraced that kind of fear as one of the best free adrenaline rushes around.
#37 marvin → 11.26.07 at 8:26 pm
Fear of Failure also shows itself when we refuse to quit doing something in a “particular way” that hasn’t been working. Because by quiting we would be admitting that our “particular way” failed. So, instead of changing our tactics we end up doing the same thing with the same result.
#38 The One Obstacle to Making Money Online | Internet Marketing Strategies by Internet Marketing Strategist Mark McCullagh → 11.26.07 at 9:42 pm
[…] I was inspired to write this post after reading yet another stellar post from Brian Clark of Copyblogger. […]
#39 Brett → 11.26.07 at 9:43 pm
@marvin- Very well put. I think the “fear of failure” is part of the pain we experience when we change our ways.
#40 Links for 27-11-2007 | Velcro City Tourist Board → 11.26.07 at 10:23 pm
[…] - The Nasty Four-Letter Word That Keeps You From Writing “And the truth is, every time I push myself in a new direction, I’m still afraid. I don’t […]
#41 J.F.H. → 11.27.07 at 12:22 am
But, I’m afraid.
#42 Linker Barn: Tuesday, November 27 → 11.27.07 at 12:32 am
[…] four letter word that keeps you from […]
#43 Jeremy → 11.27.07 at 1:14 am
I’m definitely afraid. Just having a site by the name linked above (chosen b/c of terms as opposed to out of arrogance) makes me afraid to run into someone who would by some small off chance recognize me from the site.
And fear of failure, not b/c of failure but because of all the related reasons that Brian listed above, keeps me from diving head first into the newest idea. Now to get started…
#44 bhumika → 11.27.07 at 1:47 am
Great post Brian…
I believe all of this boils down to the ultimate fear - the fear of the society. They are the ones who praise or criticize your work. In other words, you write for others to read it, so there will always be this fear of ‘what will they say/think?’. You never experience fear if you write for your own pleasure.
#45 Arif Vakil → 11.27.07 at 3:18 am
Thanks so much for putting this up Brian. Just like many others, I too am saving this for future readings. Another tip to combat many of the above fears is to go ahead and write a shitty first draft.
#46 First Post! « coreadmin → 11.27.07 at 6:44 am
[…] fear of writing can be a bit overwhelming at times for many people (including me). But the only way to overcome […]
#47 idot60 → 11.27.07 at 7:26 am
how about fear of fear itself? I’ve seen people taking too many precautions because of fear itself till the plan goes sour. Doing things in mediocrity is good :)
#48 Justn → 11.27.07 at 8:20 am
Nice… I needed this. Thanks!
#49 Patricia → 11.27.07 at 9:11 am
I really love this post. My own fears have been reflected in your words. Thanks for reminding me of them, I’ll continue writing inspite of them in the future.
#50 Matt Fetick → 11.27.07 at 9:51 am
I just kicked off my real estate blog yesterday. I’ve been trying to do so for about 3 months. I was fearful of writing articles that would not be relevent or would be challeneged by my peers. Finally, after good coaching, I took the dive. Thanks for putting into words what I already knew was true.
#51 Chris Norton → 11.27.07 at 11:19 am
Fantastic post! This has really helped me. I think many people even if they are wordsmiths are still finding the world of writing for blogs a learning experience as the whole process seems to change by the day. I will make sure I keep reading for more updates.
#52 Jesse → 11.27.07 at 12:11 pm
Thank you for this. (I’m a long-time subscriber, first-time commenter.)
Fears of mediocrity and risk. Nail on the head.
Mediocrity: Rather than just start and see where it goes, I procrastinate starting my blog by building a wall of perfection: have lots of content ready up front, have the entire blog’s lifespan intricately organized, ensure I have lots of potential content for a few months before just starting to write.
Risk: Can you say, “social anxiety”? ;)
Those are a brutal combination, the whole greater than the sum of their parts. Your post here has inspired me to cut through it.
“I must not fear, fear is the mind-killer.”
#53 lawton chiles → 11.27.07 at 12:37 pm
About a year and a half ago I decided to start a graphic design and photoshop tutorial blog based on the career of design that i was working towards.
Starting that blog I have failed many times but it has taught me to write what my audience wants and not just what I want- especially now that it is of less focus and copy takes more of a bigger role than design these days for me.
Anyway, thank you for reminding me to keep going.
:)
#54 Latarsha Lytle → 11.27.07 at 12:53 pm
Thanks for such a refreshing view on what it takes to push ourselves forward.
I especially liked your highlight that actions beats inaction everytime.
Actually it’s the acting and moving-it-forwardness that separates the winners from the losers.
Pushing through the fear is a core component of success.
Thanks for sharing your insight!
#55 Big J → 11.27.07 at 1:26 pm
Thank you. Fear has held me back from doing many things in my life. This is a brilliant and insightful post. Thank you again :-)
#56 Geoff → 11.27.07 at 2:28 pm
Great post, Brian. It’s a timeless topic really. In my experience, it had been fear that causes more problems that anything else. The day I gave myself permission to fail is the day I started enjoying more successes.
In fact, to support your post here, I’m going to link to a post of mine that complements this one: Fearless Writing.
You’ve been hitting some real home runs lately. Great guest columns, too.
#57 Mark → 11.27.07 at 2:54 pm
Fear can also be a great motivator!
#58 Sue Orkin → 11.27.07 at 5:22 pm
I thought the four letter word was going to be “fail”. My problem is neither, it is just having a solid beginning, middle and end. I usually have two.
-Sue Orkin
#59 Loosely Speaking—A Virtual Assistant’s Blog » Love and Fear and the Road to Successful Blogging → 11.27.07 at 7:19 pm
[…] Now, if you can’t get off square one, maybe you’re experiencing some form of blog paralysis. To conquer the fear that may be underlying your inertia, read Copyblogger’s “The Nasty Four-Letter Word That Keeps You From Writing.” […]
#60 Alexander → 11.28.07 at 8:59 am
There is only one thing that matters when you start writing - the ability to transform your thoughts into proper and accurate instrument to say something. It does not really matter if you are a good writer or not. If you are not, then you just won’t be noticed. The “F” word - it stays until you get use to writing - the negative thing here can be if the fear is transformed into self confidence!
Nice article anyway :)!
A.
#61 Jeanne Dininni → 11.28.07 at 5:15 pm
Brian,
How true! Thanks for those words of wisdom!
Writing always involves a certain degree of vulnerability; but that can be part of its magic–because without it, we could never truly touch the heart, soul, or mind of our reader.
Congratulations on being a finalist in the Writing White Papers Top 10 Writing Blogs competition! (Of course, it’s no surprise!)
Regards,
Jeanne
#62 Making Sales Making Money » Blog Archive » Fear of Failure and Home Based Business → 11.28.07 at 9:28 pm
[…] Perhaps the biggest obstacle you will face in starting your home based business is yourself. I interviewed 5 people for this post. submit_url = ‘http://makingsalesmakingmoney.com/blog/2007/11/07/fear-of-failure-and-home-based-business/’;Each possess unique knowledge, skills and abilities. Each of them could be successful in business. It is likely none of them will. Why? Because of fear. The common denominator with these potential profiteers is fear. […]
#63 Mike → 11.28.07 at 11:52 pm
I think that fear plays a big part in every day life as well as blogging.
#64 Bea → 11.30.07 at 8:12 am
You took the words right out of mouth. I’m relocating from Istanbul to the states after 10 years and fear reared its ugly head in my writing two weeks ago; my one anchor. I fear my articles on Arabisto may not live up to the pro’s who write there, and for my own blog I know what to write but can’t seem to put it out there.
I always ask friends, colleagues and clients what is the fear behind their concerns, and now I must ask myself this same question. Most issues we face come back to fear: Fear of self, fear of decisions, fear of writing, fear of criticism, fear of not being good enough, fear of our own confidence, fear of success and on and on.
#65 Matt Keegan → 11.30.07 at 10:40 am
Fear isn’t usually what I experience, distraction is much more of a problem for me. There are times, however, when uncertainty creeps in, but I can usually vanquish those feelings by doing something else. But then, I get distracted!
;-)
#66 dean guadagni → 11.30.07 at 11:12 am
Fear is the #1 factor that paralyzes a writer. Most bloggers would have started earlier except that they were fearful of the task at hand.
The # 1 fear is content. More precisely coming up with fresh content on a daily basis.
The reality of blogging is that content is much easier to find, along with your voice, than comprehending the technology curve.
The other fear? Fear of repetition.
dean
#67 Shaun Groves → 11.30.07 at 4:21 pm
Thank you for writing this piece. I’ve been handed a book deal. My deadline is racing toward me. The nearer it gets the less adequate what I’ve written seems to me and the less qualified to finish I feel. I’m petrified of writing a book that’s OK. This fear of mediocrity, like you say, manifests itself as perfectionism - creativity chilling, sentence killing perfectionism.
All my friends’ pep talks haven’t done have as much to talk these demons out of my writing room as your brief essay here. Thank you for being brave enough to make the rest of us brave again.
-Shaun
#68 iScatterlings New Year's Eve LinkMe Campaign, Challenge, News, Views, Opinion, Namibia, Namibian, Southern Africa | iScatterlings → 12.01.07 at 4:20 am
[…] Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce to you the one and only, the honourable and esteemed Mr Brian Clark at Copyblogger […]
#69 Walking Through Fear (And Newscoma’s Brand New Gig) « Newscoma → 12.01.07 at 7:27 am
[…] on the subject that Shaun Groves addressed in a post this morning about this post, which is called “The Nasty Four-Letter Word that Keeps You From Writing.” Fear affects us all more than we care to admit, and it’s especially insidious for writers. […]
#70 Leap Overs | OBannons Leap → 12.01.07 at 8:37 am
[…] The Nasty Four-Letter Word That Keeps You From Writing - Brian Clark explores the most common cause of writer’s block for Bloggers and Internet Marketers. This is really well written and something I’ll refer back to anytime I’m stuck staring at a blank page in the future. […]
#71 Lazy Sunday Link Love → 12.01.07 at 2:17 pm
[…] Clark may be afraid to write, but that didn’t stop him from writing a 1000+ article on the […]
#72 Think again, next time you sell your article for cheap → 12.02.07 at 12:30 am
[…] was really inspired by reading Brian Clark’s story on The Nasty Four-Letter Word That Keeps You From Writing and thought of writing some different this time breaking my own writers […]
#73 Lyndon Antcliff → 12.02.07 at 2:16 am
“Few people understand the enormous advantage of never hesitating and always daring.”
Desiderius Erasmus
#74 Floating Links: Fear, Niche Stores and Double Lattes : Bizquarium → 12.02.07 at 7:46 am
[…] YOUR DEMONS: Brian Clark of Copyblogger illustrated 5 ways that Fear can paralyze you. The points he brings up resonate much further than writer’s block. Fear of failure is […]
#75 Yi Lu → 12.02.07 at 11:09 pm
Brian, I’ve enjoyed your article on fear immensely as it has a close correlation towards my procrastination to completing the work that I’ve outlined during my research phase. Even though similar articles and books have been published with similar analogies, I enjoy your writing style and honesty a lot more sincerely than my previous encounters with related information.
Keep up the excellent work Brian and I look forward to meeting you during pubcon or the next marketing event. Until then, stay healthy and enjoy your holidays.
#76 Do You Smell That Rabbit? | The Great Success → 12.03.07 at 4:33 pm
[…] for accomplishment. Although you may not be an aspiring writer, the advice bestowed by old Copyblogger here is wise. And Aaron Wall (from the world of SEO) followed up with this nice fortune cookie: Many […]
#77 Judaism → 12.06.07 at 3:52 pm
Very nice post. Tony Robbins and others have a lot more additional material on this.
#78 Plan for the future, live for today — On Financial Success → 12.11.07 at 1:17 am
[…] Sit back and re-evaluate how you use your time and what you’ve unintentionally been missing. If you haven’t started saving for the future, start now. If you’re not quite ready to pursue a dream, make sure you aren’t letting fear delay you. […]
#79 Game On | eBizParent → 12.11.07 at 9:23 pm
[…] Hi there! Welcome to eBizParent. If you haven’t already please subscribe to my RSS feed or sign up for email updates. Thanks for visiting! :) Today is the day that I commit myself to building an eBiz. I’ve been putting all my ideas on the back burner for a while now because of fear. Brian Clark wrote a great article on that nasty four letter word. […]
#80 HEY! Who put this post here!? | Writes Like She Talks → 12.14.07 at 11:24 pm
[…] I wrote in Twitter, what motivates people more, reward or fear? […]
#81 Remains of the Day, 12/14/07 | Writes Like She Talks → 12.15.07 at 5:10 pm
[…] Copyblogger on fear again - because you really need to keep this in mind if any of it is an issue for […]
#82 Blogging 101 » Blog Archive » The Best of Copyblogger in 2007 → 01.02.08 at 10:04 am
[…] The Nasty Four-Letter Word That Keeps You From Writing […]
#83 Overcoming Fear Of Failing - Entrepreneurs and Webmasters. → 03.12.08 at 10:00 am
[…] post on Writers Block. Definition and tips on how to break […]
#84 3 Sure-Fire Steps for Beating the Boring Content Blues | Copyblogger → 03.20.08 at 8:58 am
[…] to ignore the part of your brain that wants things to be perfect. The boys in the basement hate perfect. Perfect is actually the enemy of damned good. Writing every day gets you out of the illusion of […]
#85 Share Your Ideas, Write Posts and Do It Now | Just Simple Marketing Works → 04.03.08 at 3:28 pm
[…] thing you might wonna do is to stop being afraid to do something that will propel your business. While you need to differentiate the fear that […]
#86 Kay → 04.11.08 at 8:39 pm
I have been searching for a solution to my writer’s block for so long, and I’m relieved to have finally found such useful advice. I was never afraid to write until recently. Writing has always been an indescribable joy that would keep me company until the early hours. So feeling this paralysing block, all of a sudden, is especially scary. I think I can cover the entire spectrum of fear… mediocrity, risk, failure. But I have come to realise something while reading through the comments above. Fear, in a strange kind of way… is good. I admit myself to be a fickle person who flits from one form of art to another. But losing my interest, or finding difficulties in these activities never frightened me. I understand now that the more I fear, the more I care. The more terrified I am, the more passionate I am about the project. So although it prevents me from doing what I love, fear itself encourages me to try harder. I am afraid of writing for all the reasons you have listed above, and because of this I know that writing is what I want, and I am ready to fight fear to the death to get it back!
#87 Procrastination Link Love | The Office Gal → 04.24.08 at 7:41 am
[…] The Nasty Four-Letter Word That Keeps You From Writing at Copyblogger. […]
#88 Feel Great Naked: Confidence Boosters for Getting Personal | Copyblogger → 05.07.08 at 10:44 am
[…] There’s just one problem with all of that. It’s terrifying. […]
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