Fear: The Enemy of Better Writing

In his First Inaugural Address, Franklin D. Roosevelt broadcast one of his most famous quotes: “The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.” But the full quote is even more insightful:

“So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself – nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”

- Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Inaugural Address, March 4, 1933

I’d like to add to that a quote of my own: “For many, the only thing more terrifying than a first draft is a first date.” - Tom White

Your attempt to write clear, compelling communication has one sworn enemy: fear. While this fear comes in many forms, the results are the same – a paralysis that jacks up your anxiety, eats up your time and drains your energy.?

Beating back this fear – so you can start and finish your writing – begins with understanding it. Here are some of the primary forms of this villain.

Fear of starting.?

Writers of all stripes are prone to second-guessing the quality of their ideas before they even get started. This is not only unproductive, it’s illogical. The start of the writing process is about generating raw ideas that can be refined later into a tighter more polished message.?

This fear of getting started on your writing would be like a sculptor never starting because the block of stone in front of them isn’t pretty. It’s not supposed to be. It’s merely material that has the potential to become something great.?

Solutions:

• Change your perspective. Write for the wastebasket and stop criticizing your first drafts. It’s not supposed to be pretty or perfect.
• Start a list. Blast out a simple laundry list of ideas, phrases, words and sentence fragments. Make them bullets. Then go back later and rearrange them as the starting point of a first draft.
• Write a letter. To yourself, a hypothetical reader, or a colleague. It’s a letter that never gets sent, so use it to vent your frustrations, express your concerns or even mock the assignment. You’ll connect to the topic and start to kick impediments to the sidelines. Then keep writing.

Fear of being read.?

Sounds a bit crazy, I know. The reason we write in the first place is because we want someone else to read it. But knowing that others will be reading and judging your work can often paralyze any writer. Imaginary criticism, opinions that-may-never-be, outright rejection – these are some of the “gloomy movies” writers can create in their heads at any given time in the writing process.?

Solution:?

• Know your goal. Initially, you’re after a solid draft, not perfection. You get to share this with as few people as you choose – or no one at all.
• Tap into your experience. If you have ever tried to predict the reaction of multiple individuals to anything, you know that guessing the opinions of any number of people is an impossible task. Why should writing be any different? Since you cannot predict how readers will respond, let your own judgement be your ultimate guide.?

Fear of finishing.?

Here’s a professional writer’s secret: one of the reasons so many writers are notorious procrastinators is their knowledge – even subconsciously – that once their work is complete and submitted, it can be judged. If you never submit it, you never get criticism.?

Solution:?

• Be a realist. Even the best written piece may get criticized – for reasons having nothing to do with the quality of the writing. Incomplete or inaccurate instructions, a change in circumstances, new context – these are just some of the reasons your “perfect” submission ultimately may need edits or rewrites. These are variables beyond your control, so complete the best draft you can with the input you have and let the process do what it’s supposed to do.?
• Review, refine, release. Revising your work is a double-edged sword. You can just as easily overdo it as you can underdo it. By all means, take a few passes at your draft (be sure to step away from it for a while before your final edits). Then let it go. While the second or third review of your own work will probably yield some improvements, the sixth or seventh revise probably will not. Hit the send button and let your audience weigh in.

It's important to take your writing seriously. But it’s just as important to eliminate unnecessary impediments and irrational fears. Keep those fears at bay and you’ll make the writing process less stressful and the finished product more effective.

Tom White is a business content writer and President & Creative Director at The White Agency, Inc. A copywriter by training, he assists clients in all aspects of creating a better message, from strategy to copy to speechwriting. "I say what you'd say, only better."