Anyone can hide. Facing up to things, working through them, that's what makes you strong. ― Sarah Dessen

Fear and Story

We are transitioning from an intuitive process to find your story to a more logical process to organize your story. After these first few weeks of writing, I hope you are starting to listen to and trust your intuitive, inner voice as she will be with your during this whole project! (How do you feel about her after listening to her these past weeks? Are you enjoying her company? Feeling angry? Surprised? Bored? Frustrated?) 

Moving into this new stage may bring up new fears. We are not going to let them haunt you from the sidelines. Your first job? Say them. (Tomorrow we will slay them.) So, today, I have only one question for you. I’d like for you to free write in response to this prompt for as long as you want:

I am afraid to write this story because….

Write everything that comes to your mind, no matter how trivial or silly. Everything. Get it on the page.

You are doing this exercise for two reasons -- one obvious and one more subtle. First, we need to have a list of what is going to prevent you from continuing this story. (Has any of that come up already?) Second, what you fear is probably what your protagonist fears. We are still learning about her and this is useful character information. I know on many days I encourage you to select the prompt that connects for you, but today, I would like for you to do this one.

After you’ve done that, I’d like for you to watch this Ted Talk (or watch it again if you’ve seen it). Whether you love Elizabeth Gilbert or not, her ideas on creativity are worth hearing.

You are doing great!

Women writers have been told, forever, that our stories were not valuable. Not as valuable as men's stories about wars, business, power. -- Joyce Maynard