Courageous Writing
October 24th, 2006 by Kathleen Bolton
One of the great things about having this blog is sharing ideas and tips for, and the miseries and joys of crafting novels. A few weeks back, Marsha Moyer mentioned a book that’s helping her work through her birthing pangs, Ralph Keyes’ THE COURAGE TO WRITE. (We feature Keyes’ book in Craft Corner under the title THE WRITER’S BOOK OF HOPE–recommended by our own Jack Slyde).
So because I don’t have enough self-help books on writing on my shelf, I went out and bought it. And I second Jack’s and Marsha’s recommendations.
The purpose of Keyes’ book is to help writers overcome their fears by relating stories of other writers–great writers too, biggies like Faulkner and E.B. White–how they crap their pants every time they sit before the starched blank of an unwritten story, and how they get beyond the fear to write anyway. Since writers are endlessly inventive, they also have figured out innumerable ways to keep themselves from writing (koff, blogging, koff). Some of their excuses are pretty good, too. But to overcome the inertia, they all have one thing in common: guts.
“As we’ve seen,” Keyes writes, “there’s no shortage of good reasons not to write. But many are simply disguises for timidity. There’s much to be said for not doing what we most want to do. If we fail at something we don’t care about, so what? Little was at stake.”
But folks who write know what’s at stake. Not looking back on a long life and muttering, “If only.”
Keyes doesn’t give a panacea for countering the fear. All he does is relate how others overcome it. And since there’s a scenario for every imaginable excuse, failure, etc., one is bound to relate to your situation. It’s comforting to know that E.B. White was so scared about what his editor would think of CHARLOTTE’S WEB that he ran to the mailbox, ripped it out, and sat on it for weeks.
At the end of the book, there is only one prescription for overcoming the fear: writing.
As we gird our loins and flex our fingers in anticipation of hurling into the NaNo breach, let’s remember to take our courage with us. It might be the only thing getting us to the computer by November 30th.
7 Responses to “Courageous Writing”
yeah, sometimes i am afraid of writing because i’m not sure i want people to know what i’m thinking, what i really personally, in my heart, believe, and/or if they did, they would mock me or scorn me for it. writing is a lot like sitting in the dunking chair at the fair. anybody can hit the button and send you plunging. just cause they can. but i too must gird my loins and write write write. thanks, kathleen, for the lesson. now enough bloggin – let’s write some fiction
I don’t think people are as often afraid of failing as they are afraid of success.
I agree with you, Eric. Success, even in modest doses, always brings change which is a frightening thing. Still, I’d say fear of failure comes in a strong second. Having these fears simultaneously is not impossible!
Thanks for the book recommendation. I have a pretty good library of writerly self help books, but there’s always room for more.
The EB White story is priceless. And I don’t think people are as afraid of failing or of succeeding as they are of letting others see their work. Insecurity.
I might be most afraid of an apathetic response to my work.
I bought this book a few weeks ago and loved it. It definitely makes you understand that you’re not the only one who has a hard time with the whole fear of writing thing.
I think that what this book does best is provide hope. It helps to know we’re not alone in our insecurties, doubts, and fears. At least it helps me.