Don't Let Fear be Your Writing Foundation

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

I was texting back and forth with my good friend and prayer partner, Beth Vogt, last week—sharing a struggle I was having with a series of blog posts. As we talked, it dawned on me that instead of writing with courage and faith, I was writing from a place of fear.

Fear of failure.

Fear of expectations.

Fear of others and how I might be perceived.

No wonder I was having such a difficult time. The revelation stunned me. If there’s one thing I pride myself on (and that should have been my first clue I was about to fall flat on my face), it’s the thought that I’m not afraid of anything.

As I travel and speak to writers, that’s one of the first things I share with them. “You must approach this writing life with courage. Be brave and willing to try things that seem scary.”

So what did I do to overcome this roadblock?

First, I took it to God in prayer.

1.  I took it to God in prayer. His word is clear on the fact that we’re not supposed to fear. I acknowledged what I’d been doing and turned my fears over to Him.

2.  I made a list of all the things I was afraid of. I didn’t just think about them in my mind. I put them on paper. Know what I discovered? Most of the things I was worried about looked pretty silly on paper.

3. I looked at the things that weren’t silly and turned them upside down. For example: I was afraid someone I loved would misunderstand my motive. To turn it upside down I considered the possibility that someone God loved would see Him more clearly. Yes, what I was fearful about could happen, but so could the other things. After looking at things differently, I decided it was worth the risk.

I've chosen to spread my writing wings and soar.

4. I gave myself permission to write from a place of courage. I turned away from those voices that warned of the bad things that could come. Instead, I spread my writing wings and soared into the freedom of wordplay. I recaptured the joy of writing from my heart, exploring the whisperings of God in the depths of my soul. I rediscovered writing from a place of grace.

Today I’d like you to take a long look at where you are with your writing. Ask yourself if you’re writing from a place of grace or a place of fear. Then leave a comment below, committing to a new season writing from grace.

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Edie Melson—author, blogger, speaker—has written numerous books, including While My Soldier Serves, Prayers for Those with Loved Ones in the Military. She’s also the military family blogger at Guideposts.org. Her popular blog for writers, The Write Conversation, reaches thousands each month, and she’s the Director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. Connections: Social Media & Networking Techniques for Writers is a print expansion of her bestselling ebook on social media. She’s the Social Media Mentor at My Book Therapy, the Social Media Director for Southern Writers Magazine, and the Senior Editor for NovelRocket.com. Connect on Twitter and Facebook.