Mary Schneider has already overcome a lot of fear.
She reached out on this blog, on social media, and made friends. She pushed down the fear of rejection and built connections and friendships. She opted to work hard at her freelancing instead of waiting for success to come to her. And she’s pushed past a lot of personal turmoil in order to find her footing.
She’s a writer to emulate in how she deals with her fears.
She’s also about to take you on a snipe hunt.
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I’m Scared!
Facing Down Writing Fears
by Mary Schneider
Once upon a time, I wrote a short horror story. I was proud of the detail and description I’d used to paint a dreadful, gore-splashed scene. I shyly shared it with my older sister, and she read it to our mom… laughing. Not exactly the reaction I was going for. I’ve never written another story in that genre. We all have fears when it comes to writing. While I was never meant to be the next Stephen King, I’ve come to recognize that fear has many faces, but only one result: it stops me from reaching my writing goals.
When you’re facing a project that you feel is too big to even begin, fine tuning a piece you know by heart because it’s not quite right just yet, even though the deadline is screaming at you to just turn it in already, or you’ve decided to simply refuse to write a certain genre or type of project because you feel it’s just not my niche, fear may be raising its ugly head. Are you letting fear stop you from seeking out higher-paying clients, exploring new niches, or proposing a lucrative project? Are you letting fear stop you from reaching your full writing and freelancing potential?
Give Fear its Proper Name
No, I’m not suggesting that you start referring to your writing anxieties as Harvey and Roger. Naming your fear means recognizing the difference between discernment and anxiety. Anxiety speaks in generalizations, while discernment is specific. The voice in your head telling you “I don’t have the skill to write this,” or “the prominent industry expert I need to interview will think I’m nothing but a hack,” is very likely to be your anxiety talking. “I’m not good enough,” is anxiety. “I could use a stronger word to improve this sentence,” is discernment that develops your craft.
Maintain Perspective
What’s triggering your anxiety? Is it really a lack of skill that’s worrying you, or is it simply the fear of failure? A big job can loom large, especially if it involves a client with a history of being picky, or the potential pay-off, either in terms of the fee or future business, is sizable. If you’ve been freelancing for a while, chances are good that you’ve felt inadequate in the face of a big project. Big projects, when broken down to their primary parts, aren’t more difficult than smaller, less lucrative jobs. Clients of every size have similar needs in terms of content. The topics and focus may differ, but the writing, the work you do, is valuable whether you’re working for a client that runs a multimillion dollar company or a mom-and-pop store. Don’t let fear hold you back from seeking out the bigger fish in the freelancing pond.
Face it Down
Eleanor Roosevelt said “Do one thing every day that scares you.”
Once you’ve acknowledged and named your anxiety, it’s possible to look it in the eye and stare it down. Start by brainstorming a list of things you’d like to accomplish as a freelancer. Think big. Write down your “dream” client. Write down that project that you know could be incredible, if you could just pull it off. Write down your goals, even if they seem unrealistic or out of reach. Then, break down each goal into specific, measurable steps. Putting together writing samples and a resume. Contacting that big client with a solid proposal letter. Contact a set number of potential new clients to contact every day. Write something that scares you. Research a new topic, and write on it. Do things that scare you. Do them because they scare you. Prove to yourself that you can.
Snipe Hunting and Worst Case Scenarios
Snipe hunting, for the uninitiated, is a wild-goose-chase trick that mischievous country folks sometimes play on their visiting city-dwelling cousins. A snipe is a legendary bird. It’s difficult to track, requiring special equipment, and a highly-prized catch… that doesn’t exist. There’s no such thing as a snipe, and true, lasting failure; landing on some mythical “black list” as a freelancer, is about as likely to happen as a successful snipe hunt.
What if you call that prominent expert and they don’t have time to grant you an interview? What if you propose that ambitious project to a client, and they turn it down? What if you write that story and it’s rejected? The “What ifs” are the snipes of writing. Chase down the what-ifs, and consider the worst-case-scenarios in light of the likely reality. You didn’t get the interview? Interview someone with better availability. Client turned the project down? Propose something else. Story got rejected? Submit it elsewhere. In the end, the hunt is what matters. You can’t catch anything if you’re not out there looking. Don’t get so focused on the losses that you lose sight of the wins.
Focus on the Goal
Fear is a natural part of every human endeavor. Fear just means we’re facing something challenging and we don’t know what will happen. We don’t know if we’ll succeed or fail. We don’t know if our efforts will bear fruit. We don’t know if we can achieve the goals we’ve set for ourselves. Set limits for indulging your fears, and focus on the end product. For example, if you find yourself revising endlessly, set a limit- three revision sessions, before you consider the piece finished. Give yourself deadlines. Push past the fear, and write.
Mary is a mom, freelance content provider, Minecrafter, Youtuber, blogger. Sleep? Who needs sleep?
https://www.frommaryspen.com/
Writers, what was/is your wild goose chase?
How did you overcome it?
Well done, Mary. No snipe hunting for you. 🙂 I had a goal to hit 6 figures in my corporate career. Not a bad goal, but not all it’s cracked up to be (for me). I hit it the last several years of my career. And, surprise – it did not make me happy. I wanted to leave the corporate world behind for some time. My fear of leaving that 6-figure behind stopped me more than once until I finally blew.
The funny thing is, I found endless articles and self-professed gurus telling me how I could gain bliss by hitting that magic six-figure level again in freelancing. Been there. Done that. The very thing I feared is not my 1st priority. And once I realized that, life and work came much better. I’ve bumped up against the six-figure but it’s not my focus. I do quite well (in more ways than one) despite that old fear.
Thanks for an inspiring post, Mary!
Cathy, the funny thing about that six-figure goal — it’s not the number that makes a person happy (as you’ve found out). The journey what the goal should be (I think Chogyam Trungpa said that). If the journey is enjoyable, it’s worth it. If not, change the goal so that your journey makes you happy.
Spot on, Lori.
Right on, Cathy!
Mary, great post. The “what ifs” plague us all, no matter what level we’re at. What if that client doesn’t like my price? What if they don’t like my approach? What if I lose this client and need to find another?
Personally, I’ve found that once I get a rhythm going in my business, those what-ifs calm themselves down pretty well. Sure, all of the above could happen, but I’m now equipped mentally to deal with it.
So that’s what Snipe Hunting is. Or isn’t. I knew it was fake, but since I was a kid I confused it with the annual Smelt Runs, which always sounded just as, dare I say, fishy.
You raised a lot of great points, Mary. Fear takes many forms, but the worst kind of fear is the type that makes us doubt ourselves and our abilities.
Well done, Mary. You made me think about something that I’d never considered before: When I don’t get a particular job, I’m usually the only one who knows other than the person who dissed me. It makes it much easier for me to dismiss them mentally. (Heck, I don’t even tell my wife about new projects unless they’re signed!) And yes, I realize that others may do the complete opposite for their own equally valid reasons.
I can’t believe how much this one line went off like an epiphany in my head: “Write down that project that you know could be incredible, if you could just pull it off.” Somehow, of all the advice I’ve ever heard, that one line registered as if for the first time — not to mention all the other great advice. Thank you!!
Lightbulb moment! Good for you, Gina. So now, what is that project? How soon can you give it your best “what the hell” moment?
It seems that almost anything worth doing involves some aspect of fear or possible rejection. It’s a sad reality that has held me back in life, too many times to count. Lost several opportunities and wasted a lot of time being afraid and too fixated on the opinions of others.
My first “wild goose chase” was merely finishing something. And having the gall to share it with someone…or several someone’s, if they desired.
Doing things I was “afraid” to do, both in writing and the course of life, have ultimately been some of the most rewarding experiences I can remember.
Sarah, I’m with you on that. Sometimes the toughest thing is getting over the stuff in our heads, isn’t it?
Each roadblock we break through makes it easier for the next one to come crashing down. 🙂