Earlier this month I started a series on overcoming
obstacles in writing. I began with discussing writer’s block however the mother
of that obstacle is writing anxiety. Writing anxiety is the feeling of tension,
worried thoughts and sometimes physical changes (such as higher blood pressure)
which occurs when a person faces a writing task. It is the major negative
feelings writers have when they attempt to write. In its extreme form some
people become physically ill sometimes vomiting and getting headaches or body
aches.
Writing anxiety may cause you to avoid writing at all
costs. You might feel nervous or unable to write anything (writer’s block). You
may self-sabotage any efforts when it comes to writing. One may also have symptoms
that include excessive worry and unnecessary stress associated with the performance
of writing.
So, how do you fight writing anxiety? First you need to
find out and know what your triggers for the anxiety are. Is it due to
deadlines, meeting them or creating them? Is it due to competitiveness or is it
due to fear of failure? It could stem from social, professional and even academic
factors. You might feel pressure from your peers, publisher or teachers. After
you pinpoint the triggers of why you feel anxious when it comes to writing then
you can effectively fight it. Often the anxiety you feel is situational and you
should pay attention to situations that cause it and avoid them.
Some ways to combat writing anxiety include getting a
writing buddy or peer that will help you feel more relaxed as you write. That
person should be someone you like and trust who is encouraging and wants to see
you succeed. Another way is to avoid being isolated by becoming apart of a
writing group. Often writers are loners but that is not necessarily healthy. Instead
of isolating yourself join a local writing group where you can leave your
office (home or otherwise) to meet with like minded writers.
The best way to fight the obstacle is to identify your
strengths as a writer and person. This will help you reverse the negative
thought patterns that feed your anxiety. Another thing to do is to think of
writing as a craft that requires practice for you to master it. As you think of
writing as craft you can deem yourself to be an apprentice of sorts learning to
become the best you can be at the craft. Also, you should try to change your
writing mode sometimes and not get stuck in a rut. Better still, do what you
want your audience to do with your finished project: read. Reading will help
you overcome your anxiety and give you something different to do for the time
being while developing your creativity.
Writing anxiety doesn’t have to be debilitating and
stop you from completing your career goals. These were just the basics but good
insights on how to overcome this obstacle. Once you conquer the monster you can
create your masterpiece and finish the task at hand: writing.
