Right there in front of me was a glaring poster:
“Overcoming Self Doubt and Procrastination as a Writer”
It spoke to me. Being a writer is a dream that has been with me for years. Of course, I’ve been a writer throughout my life. One of my early careers was as a professional CopyWriter in Advertising. I’ve written poetry and short stories that were published. Training manuals and course materials were a breeze.
Then as soon as I decided I wanted to write and publish for myself, the blocks and obstacles set in. I just couldn’t get going and the more I procrastinated the more ideas I had and the more overwhelmed I became.
Yes, I was concerned that my material wasn’t good enough. Who was I to write about things that others had so eloquently written about? I was concerned about being judged and found wanting. I had nothing new to add. So many self-imposed barriers that had stopped me from producing and publishing.
So when I saw that poster, I procrastinated. A week out from the course I looked it up again – and the course had been cancelled and replaced with another presentation.
Disappointed I looked it up online and found this perfect summation of the issues. Most starting writers and authors experience feelings such as:
- self-doubt
- fear of rejection/criticism
- procrastination
- perfectionism
- lack or resilience/staying power
Sarah Painter has written a book that covers much of this topic. In her book, Stop Worrying, Start Writing she covers and explains many of the concerns that starting and struggling writers have and offers solutions that have worked for her and others.
Listen to the session to get a gist of what’s involved. For more practical and permanet solutions, go grab the book and overcome procrastination and self doubt as a writer.
Writing Priorities : Advice from Jennifer Blanchard