Do you sit down to write but find that your fear gets the best of you?

Do you worry that there’s no point in being a writer since other people can do it better?

Have you wanted to write a book for years but never had the guts to sit down and actually put yourself “out there” for the world to see?

Guess what?

You aren’t alone.

Everyone feels scared at some point. Everyone feels shy, embarrassed, or worried. Most writers worry that their book will be poorly received or that no one will enjoy it as much as the writer enjoyed writing it.

The difference between an “aspiring writer” and an “author” is that one of them got over their fear, put on a brave front, and wrote the book.

Check out The Courage to Write: How Writers Transcend Fear as a starting point if you aren’t entirely sure how to move past the “fear” stage in your writing life. While it’s okay to feel afraid, it’s also important to realize that you just have to get over it and write something.

There will always be people who think you aren’t a “real writer” and there will always be people who think your work is terrible, but, if you’re lucky, there will also be someone who thinks your work is amazing.

You’ll never know until you try.