Top 5 Ways I Avoid Writing

This last week I was doing a writing contest, and it got to the point where I had to make myself literally sit down to finish the piece. By finish the story, I mean out of my head and on the screen. I was nervous about doing my first contest and sending my work out there. What I promised myself this year is to be dauntless and keep moving in spite of fear. 

So if you talk to me and I am doing these 5 things, it is likely I am avoiding a larger project. I have a book I have been working on as well, and my characters are getting impatient.

1. Deep cleaning everything. 

Now you might think, how could this be procrastinating? Maybe you really do need to clean. There are days when cleaning is necessary, but this type of cleaning is taking one room at a time and deep cleaning. I will spend hours in one place that is not dirty, to begin with. No, this is a sure sign that I need to talk to someone about something. I am mulling things over in my mind too much, and the only way I can get started wrapping my head around writing is cleaning. 

2. Watching a show, I have already seen it.

I’m not particularly eager to waste my time watching shows I have already seen unless it is Friends. So, if I am watching something I have already seen, then you know I might not want to focus on the writing assignment on hand. 

3. All of a sudden, I need to go to the store.

Now we are not talking about milk and eggs run people. We are talking about any stationery or book store I can find. It is not about the essentials, but we are talking about needing a new pen because it is going to write so much better than the 100 other pens I have at home in the drawer. 

4. Lost on the scroll of social media.

I like social media like everyone else, but if I am on Facebook for an entire night, there is something really wrong. So if you see me on Facebook all night, then know another work of art is on hold. It is only Facebook. I get lost on though it is like my comfort blanket because I have had it for so long. However, it is not helping me get my writing done. Okay, I might have a little bit of a Twitter problem as well. 

5. I must replan everything in my life right now.

This was maybe less obvious to catch. I am a huge planner freak, and I love trying out new planners all the time. However, if I am trying a new planner, it is probably because I am trying to figure out how to get more time in the day to write a project I am avoiding. Oh, the irony of just using the time I am to plan to just write instead of thinking I can squeeze more hours out of my day. 

When I am avoiding writing, I usually need hugs, help, and encouragement from people surrounding me. This is not about avoidance of everyday writing but often a more significant project I am trying to finish. I am a talker, and I need to talk about my problem or grief out of my head so I can get back to my project. Know you are not alone when you are putting off the big creative projects. Don’t forget when you are being productive there might someone else avoiding because they need to work through something. Send your quiet friends and encouraging words because they might really need it. 

How to Deal with Writing Fears

I wouldn’t be here talking to you now if I had not overcome some of my biggest writing fears. These top two fears kept me at a standstill in my writing process. I would stare at the page and get so frustrated. I couldn’t even allow myself to begin to write because I thought I had to be perfect when I started. For those friends that stayed with me during the fear stages, I thank you, and for the others well you are missing out on the most exciting years of my life so far.

Not everyone will be able to handle you talking about your fears and insecurities as a writer, I will tell you that up front, but give them a chance to try. I would advise getting involved in a writing community. You can check out why that is important here.

The two biggest fears I had were.

1. I am not good enough to write.

2. No one is going to read my work.

I am not good enough to write stemmed from having a hard time with grammar and teachers putting down my writing. Not all of my teachers were discouraging, but many of those negative voices still linger in my mind.  They would say my ideas were good, but my grammar was terrible. It was hard not to take it to heart because at that time my teachers were the encouragers of my academic life. My family didn’t understand my choices. I was told I have the grammar level of a fifth grader, and I also had a professor refuse to pass me unless I sore I’d never do anything in English. I did not have the polished and refined writing I should have by 20. Now, I will admit some of this was my fault because I didn’t always edit my work well before I turned it in, but it was clear I had some things I needed to work on.

I am not sure where you are at coming into this if you have had people say these things to you maybe people you trusted, loved, or held their opinions in high regard. It is okay to come to writing with fears because it is by writing each day you overcome them. All you have to do is put one word after another. I had to learn to let go of what other’s people’s opinions were of me and my work. I had to replace their words with positive words of my own. I kept searching for what I thought good writing was.

After a few months of getting words on a page or in my case on a screen, I began to wonder if anyone was even reading this. Did it really matter if my blog or my story was only enjoyed by me? This fear is a little different because it is about failure for me. If no one is reading it, then I wonder why I am continuing to write it. I have dealt with this fear often so as a way to battle it I wrote out on index card taped to my desk the reason why I write.

I found out it wasn’t about other people reading my work at all it was about writing for myself and how it made me feel when I gave myself the time and put in the effort to write. I wrote to think clearly again because there were so many things going on in my head. I wrote privately to dump all of these thoughts out of my head. I wrote just because I enjoyed it throughout my life. It was fun to create new worlds and different characters to interact with.

I also realized that if I did want people to read any of my stories I do actually have to put them out there.

My thoughts on overcoming fear are to figure out what your fear statements are and write out the opposite to be true.

I am not good enough to write.

• I am an amazing and successful writer.

No one reads my writing.

• Everyone reads my writing and wants more.

It seems like a lie at first and like you are trying to pull one over on yourself, but the truth is it can change your future by believing in the positive things instead of letting the fears control you. If you don’t think that works for you then I would say write anyway for you and you never have to show it to another soul if you don’t want to, but do it for you and your own joy if for no other reason.