Five Ways to Overcome Your Fear So You Can Write That Nonfiction Book
When I decided to write my first book – the first emotion I encountered was fear. I was afraid I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t know how it would all come together. Who would read it? I wasn’t an expert. I didn’t have a degree in creative writing or English for that matter. I knew absolutely nothing about the editing, revising, and formatting process. But more importantly, fear told me I wasn’t good enough to write my own story.
Maybe that’s you. Maybe you have a book within you, but fear is blocking your path. You’re letting it be your guide instead of stepping out.
Fear is a powerful emotion. Fear is a dictator. It bosses us around. It can keep us stuck. What happens next? We don’t write the book.
Think about five years down the road from now? Will you still be letting fear boss you around and keep you from telling your story? Or will you have a book in your hand?
Not sure you can write a nonfiction book? We can help with that. This checklist will confirm five reasons you CAN write a nonfiction book right now!
Here are five practices I’ve learned to overcome my fear and write a book:
1. Be willing to step out of your comfort zone.
We live in a culture that glorifies personal peace and comfort. We love comfort food. We often use comfort as our guide to whether we will pursue something or not. How often do we say, “I don’t feel comfortable doing that.” So we don’t.
I’m an introvert so going into social situations for long periods of time is draining. I need to be alone to recharge. But I know my life would be very lonely if I didn’t go out of my comfort zone and socialize. Do I sometimes have an introvert hangover if I socialize too much in one day? Yes. I do but that’s the price I pay for socializing and that’s okay.
The truth is. You’re going to share some things in your book that don’t feel comfortable. Writing a book is soul-baring, sacrificing work. You’re going to get physically and emotionally tired. You will have to log some writing sessions when you don’t feel like it. Writing is not a comfort work. But it is a good work. It produces a book. A work you can share with others to help readers solve a problem and have their own transformation. As I said before I started this section – if you let fear be the boss of your author journey, then five years from now, you won’t have a book in your hands. And you’ll still be sitting on the sidelines, wishing you were a writer. Writing isn’t going to fit in your comfort zone and that’s okay.
What I am trying to say here is that a calling is takes work. Finding yours will require a fear-facing journey that will last a lifetime… consider one more question, a much more constructive one: What happens if you don’t do this? That’s what should really scare you.
Jeff Goins, The Art Of Work
2. If you are afraid, it’s a sign that you are on the right path.
I began this article with my list of fears harassing me before I wrote my first book. Those fears still harass me. Before I post an article or put something out on social media.
Right now, I’ve been overthinking something I already posted on Instagram. Was the wording weird? Did it make sense? I have physical feelings of anxiety when I put something out into the world. You know what? That’s perfectly normal.
Our little minds and bodies are saying -wait we don’t usually break the status quo.
Not sure you can write a nonfiction book? We can help with that. This checklist will confirm five reasons you CAN write a nonfiction book right now!
What if what you wrote offends someone?
What if you missed what God was saying? You took a really strong stance on that post/article/in that chapter. Fear is trying to make sure we are on track but it’s often a sign that we are. Our goal shouldn’t be to never feel fear in our writing journey but to move forward despite it. I wrote the article WHAT IF WE TREATED FOSTER/ADOPTIVE PARENTS AS MISSIONARIES? on my other website a few years ago with a statement I firmly believed (and still do). I experienced a lot of fear before I pushed the publish button.
Then some of my fears came true. I had a group of adoptive moms bash me and the article relentlessly for months. It was hard. But I hadn’t changed my mind about my stance. Or my beliefs. And the blessing of the article? Many other adoptive moms reached out to me to let me know how much the article ministered to them. Here’s one comment:
You have a lifelong fan in me after reading this article. Did it ever hit home.
Michelle
I’m not trying to scare you. I’m just being realistic. We have a passion we want to share. Some people won’t like it. And that’s good. Because when you write with passion and conviction, you’ll also bring people out of the word work who needed to hear exactly what you have to say. They have been waiting for someone like you to take a stance. To provide an answer to a problem. To encourage them in their journey. Need more help with fear in your author journey? Read – Three Fears That Keep Us From Writing And How To Conquer Them.
3. Leave people-pleasing behind.
My last point intersects with the previous one. The truth is if you don’t leave people-pleasing behind, you will struggle with writing your book exactly the way you want to. Someone will always have an opinion on what you should write about. Or if you should write at all. When we let people-pleasing be our writing guide, we will be at the whim of everyone’s opinion. We’ll get stuck in the loop of being politically correct or trying to include everyone. Or changing our writing to fit a mold. You don’t need/want to fit a mold.
As a People Pleaser, you face the danger of allowing the thoughts, opinions, and needs of others to prevent you from pursuing your own dreams, passions, and goals.
Ruth Soukup. Do it Scared
You are uniquely you. You have a story to tell. Do you know what’s more important than pleasing others? Pleasing God. Living out your purpose here on this earth.
4. Leave perfectionism behind.
I struggle with perfectionism on a daily basis. See my above example of my social media post. I don’t like to put things out into the world until I have checked them a million times. And I get upset when I find a mistake. Or something that I’ve worded in a way I don’t like.
I follow and have friends who are writers. I read some of their writing and it makes me want to go back and change everything I’ve ever written. Fear and comparison are first cousins. Fear and comparison are those relatives that hang in the middle of the couch during family events. They tell you what you’ve done wrong. What you should do instead. How you can’t do things right. You’re not like cousin- so -and- so. Those writers may be thinking the same thing when they read someone else’s work. My perfect may not be yours. Yours may look completely different.
But here’s one thing I have learned in my life – perfectionism keeps us from writing that book. Because we think we need to perfect ourselves before we write the book. We feel we must learn all the things. Write without making a mistake. Make perfect sense in a rough draft. Always have words spelled correctly the first time. You get the point. Perfectionism is a trap. It’s a trap that will keep you from writing. Give yourself permission to write “good enough” for today. I’m doing that. I had a busy week and although my husband has the day off, finishing this article was the last item I need to finish before my work weekends. I’ve misspelled every other word. I need more coffee. About ten times, I’ve thought of giving up and trying again next week -then I think of you dear reader. I’m not perfect. This message isn’t perfect. But it’s powerful and I need to write it.
5. Think of the transformation you are offering others.
Okay, I’ve covered a lot of negative ground. The “don’t let.” The “don’t do.” But I’m ending on a positive note. This is the most important reason you need to overcome your fear and write this book.
That thing you went through and survived? Now you’re thriving? You’ve overcome. You have a story to tell. You have a transformation. And that transformation can help others.
Here’s something important to remember- your book isn’t for you. It’s for your readers. Yes, you will have the joy of holding the physical book in your hands. Or having your digital book on a file. You can/should have a book release party! You should celebrate. It’s a great accomplishment. Writing is a solitary job. Not many people will sit at a computer, and pour out their stories for the sake of others. But it’s worth it. When you get feedback from your target audience, the sense of satisfaction is amazing.
You have a story to tell that will inspire others and offer them the transformation you have experienced. Don’t let fear keep you from writing that book.
Not sure you can write a nonfiction book? We can help with that. This checklist will confirm five reasons you CAN write a nonfiction book right now!
Overcome Your Fear And Write Your Book
Be willing to step out of your comfort zone. The truth is. You’re going to share some things in your book that don’t feel comfortable.
If you are afraid, it’s a sign that you are on the right path. Fear is trying to make sure we are on track but it’s often a sign that we are. Our goal shouldn’t be to never feel fear in our writing journey but to move forward despite it.
Leave people-pleasing behind. When we let people-pleasing be our writing guide, we will be at the whim of everyone’s opinion.
Leave perfectionism behind. Perfectionism keeps us from writing that book.
Think of the transformation you are offering others. This is the best part! You’re not just writing a book -you’re offering a solution to a problem. You can hand someone (or send a digital copy) of the transformation you experienced to help others. Writing a book is a tangible reward for something you have overcome that you can offer your readers.
What are you waiting for? Get started writing that book today!