How Fear Shapes Your Writing
Fear in Writing Is Not Necessarily a Bad Thing
“But if I write what my soul thinks, it will be visible and the words will be it’s body.” Helen Keller.
Pat Schneider reminded her readers in her book Write Alone that fear is close to the first stories we want to tell, no matter how it’s disguised. The words we write are always filled with fear, fear of what others will think, but even greater fear is the truth we may discover, since writing allows us to open up in ways few other things can. Having fear while you’re writing may not necessarily be a bad thing. It allows you to dig deeper and grow as a writer.
Pat Schneider says fear is the writer’s friend. The act of writing can open up old wounds, but it can also heal them. The hard stories we tell remind others they are not alone. This applies to fiction as well as nonfiction since fiction must be believable and relatable to engage the reader.
Writing, good writing, is when we are able to open up, to share old wounds, but doing so can also cause fear, the fear of old emotions stirring up, and of painful truths being revealed. It is sometimes necessary to write these truths down for ourselves even if no one reads them.
