In a sorted, dark corner of my being I yank a fisted hand
toward me and cry out, “Yes.” Not that I wish such pain on anyone, but I refuse
to writhe through writer’s block and self-criticism alone. There is comfort in
knowing the malady that leaves me gasping each time I try to connect with my
muse is just a part of the writer’s world.
Two foremost demons are often on the prowl. Either monster
encompasses most of our fears: rejection, guilt, lack of talent, or any other deficiency
or anxiety we can think up.
·
Fear of Failure
·
Fear of Success
Neither of these demons is easy to tame, and I’m sure a few ominous
others have yet to be invented. Or maybe they’ve existed ever since scribes
have penned their thoughts, and it’s only a matter of time before we experience
them ourselves.
So how do we overcome them, and does only one way exist to
beat them down? I like what Michelle Wilson’s husband said, “The only way you’ll
fail is if you stop trying.” This is true for whatever endeavor we pursue in our
lives. But what about our fear of success? Do we actually sabotage ourselves
when we get close to our goals? Personally, I’ve stopped trying to succeed at
writing during critical moments when just a little more tenacity would have
accomplished my goals. But it doesn’t matter which demon we face. They both
stifle us and keep us from moving forward.
Over the last six months I have studied the Law of
Attraction. The premise of the law is this: All that you are is the result of what
you have thought. If you regularly imagine yourself a poor writer, that your
critics are right, that you’ll never be published, and that you should quit, your
results will mirror the same. In contrast, if you continually believe you are a
great writer, poised for publication, and that agents and editors will fight to
represent you, those goals will seek to find you.
The key determiner here is what we think about most of the
time. Our demons will pester us, that is a given. But we are the designers of our
own bright future. If we constantly wield
our swords of positive belief, we can chop down negative consequences at the
knees. We must choose to fight back. We must choose who we are and where we
want to go. A more positive approach is the better thought process.
Henriette Anne Klauser in her book Write It Down, Make It Happen encourages the reader to record
whatever they want to occur in their life. If we are writers, why not do what
comes naturally and write down positive goals for the projects we pursue? The
practice can’t hurt. At least the expected outcome will be clearer. But my
guess is if we imagine a great outcome throughout our endeavors, we will come
closer to previewing our coming attractions. It won’t be long before we
experience a happy ending.
So, repeat after me: I am a great writer. I am a great
writer. I am a great… you fill in the blank.
