The Best Cure for Fear - Tracy Krauss

I started writing seriously back in 1985. That is almost thirty years ago. My biggest fear back then is probably still the thing that nags at me on occasion. What if people think what I've written is stupid?

Fear of rejection is arguably the most common fear among writers. I've got news, folks. Get used to it.

It took me sixteen years and several works in progress to finally get up the nerve to let someone read what I'd written. By that time I had a finished novel and three more in various stages. I knew that eventually I would have to let someone take a peek - after all, my dream was to see my work published. Therein lies the irony. I wanted people to read what I had so painstakingly set to paper, but at the same time I was afraid. Writing is so personal. It's a little bit like exposing oneself in public.

I decided to take a baby step, which was still monumental considering my mental state at the time. I let my fourteen year old daughter, who was (and is) a voracious reader, be the first to read my masterpiece. Her reaction was, shall we say, polite. She 'liked' it, but she wasn't engrossed. In hindsight, I know now that the story was very expository. There was too much 'telling'. (Funny how I didn't catch that the first time around...) I went back to the computer and made some major revisions.

After a thorough overhaul, I took another giant leap and sent a submission off to the 'Writer's Edge', a service that reviews manuscripts for a small fee. If they think it has merit they will recommend it to agents and publishers on their list. (Sort of a pre-screening service.) This time I was sure I was golden. My career as an author was about to begin!

No so. That first rejection letter was devastating. I wish now that I had kept it. Instead I threw it away, discouraged and disheartened. But writers - real writers - can't stop writing.

The good news is this. I persevered. Each and every rejection was actually a gift. While most were form letters, many were not. I took to heart each and every piece of advice given to me in those rejections. A good writing class might have been an easier route, but having already started down the school of hard knocks, I carried on. Submission. Rejection. Submission. Rejection. Along the way I learned a ton about what good writing looks like, and I also got rather thick skinned. Rejection, it turns out, is the best cure for fear of rejection.

Over a six year period, I estimate I sent out between 120 and 130 submissions. I didn't receive quite as many rejections (some agents and publishers don't bother to respond at all) but the old saying that some writers could paper a wall with their rejection letters is actually true in my case. Through it all, I also got some 'requests for more' (a very thrilling response given the barrage of bad news) and eventually several contracts. It was not an easy road, I assure you.

What is the point of this story? Don't let the fear of rejection stop you from sharing your work. Take a deep breath and send that query! Read aloud at your next writers' group! Do something - anything - to force your fears into submission. The worst that anyone can say is, "That's really not that good," to which you can respond, "Thanks for the feedback. I'll do better next time."

Tracy Krauss is a multi-published, award winning, and Amazon best selling novelist and playwright. After years of rejection she feels she has earned the right to blow her own horn among friends. http://tracykrauss.com

Breathe by Glynis M. Belec

I never counted them but I am thinking that there are hundreds of verses in the Good Book on [not] being fearful. Some of my favourites include:

·         

     Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

·      Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

·         Psalm 56:3 When I am afraid, I will trust in you.

·         2 Timothy 1:7 For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

·         1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

·         1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with    punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

·         Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

·         Isaiah 35:4 Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”

·         John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

·         Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.

     So how’s that for a God Pep talk? I always feel better after reading some of these verses. I might have been a published writer for over 28 years, but I will admit that there are still times when I doubt myself, question my abilities as a writer, or just plain fear sending ‘stuff’ out to the great editorial world fearful that I might be rejected.

     My love language is Words of Affirmation so is it any wonder that when I get rejected with words I am devastated? [Writer, have you ever taken this test? http://www.5lovelanguages.com/profile/ I often wonder if most writers have Words of Affirmation as their love language.]

     I digress. . .

Probably one of the biggest encouragements I received as a fledgling writer was being reminded about and then realizing that when I got a rejection it wasn’t me, personally, who was being rejected – it was the manuscript.  Sweet relief when I discovered that. Editors have different tastes so just because they might not like what I have written doesn’t mean that another one will feel the same. 

That felt good to hear that a few times over and over in my early writing career. Before that revelation, after receiving a rejection slip, I would fall into despair declaring to myself that I really should get out of the business of writing and who did I think I was thinking that someone might be interested in reading something I wrote? The rejection slip meant that I must be writing drivel; and the audacity of me thinking that someone would pay me for writing such twaddle was laughable. Hah! 

But somehow I got through it. And here I am many moons later still clicking the keyboard. Having over a thousand  columns and articles later and plenty of books under my belt indicates that it was good I am a tad on the stubborn side. After a few writerly tantrums and moments of quiet where I let God whisper louder than those other nasty inner voices, I realized that if I succumbed to that negativity then my dreams and aspirations would be compromised and my passion to write extinguished. Like I said, I am far too stubborn to let that happen!

You would think that I have developed broad shoulders and now, so many years later, a rejection doesn’t really fizz on me. I can just brush it off. I hate to admit it – but it t’aint necessarily so! If [when] I get a rejection letter now, I still hear those crazy voices. They whisper that same old reminder of what a terrible writer I am and how I am so unworthy and ridiculous for even sending my article off. Blah, blah, blah. Then God reminds me.

 Last month I had the privilege of sharing some insights about being a writer. I spoke a fair bit about rejection and how many famous manuscripts were rejected. And if it makes you feel any better, I will share some.

•            Harry Potter – JK Rowlings rejected  7  times
•            Beatrix Potter – Peter Rabbit – rejected 7 times - sold 150 million copies
•            The Help – Kathrynn Stockett – rejected 60 times
•            Chicken Soup – first title - Chicken Soup for the Soul by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen: rejected by 123 publishers and were told that their book had a stupid title, had no sex or violence, and no one would read it.
•            The Shack by William P. Young: Publishers either found this book too Christian or not Christian  enough. So 15 photocopied editions led to a self-publishing company and eventually 15 million copies sold.
•           Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: 40 rejections - grossed more than $1 million and won a Pulitzer in its first year
•       Ann Frank, Moby Dick, Life of Pi, To Kill; a Mockingbird – they were all rejected many times.

So the lesson here is that when the rejection slips come in, don’t forget to inhale, breathe deeply, check out one of the above scriptures, reread your piece and if you are still in love with it, then send it out one more time. I heard a long time ago that as writers we should be more joyful and grateful when we get a rejection slip. At least it means we are trying!

5 Ways My Writing Has Benefited From My Piano Lesson Experiences - Ruth L. Snyder

As a child, I dreamed of taking piano lessons for several years. However, I didn't have access to either a piano or a teacher. When I was nine, my three siblings and I traveled five hundred miles away from our missionary parents to attend school in Zimbabwe. I can still hear the cadence of wheels clacking across train tracks as we sped further and further from our home in Botswana. Although it was incredibly difficult for me to be so far away from my parents, one of the benefits was the opportunity to take piano lessons. Because I was a bit older and  was motivated to practice diligently, my piano playing progressed fairly quickly. A year later when my family returned to Canada I was placed in grade 2 piano. Since then I have experienced many more lessons, practice sessions, recitals, and exams. Today I enjoy sharing my knowledge and abilities with piano students of my own.

As I think about writing, there are several benefits I gained from those many years of piano lessons:

1. Focus.
It takes focus to learn how to read music, to listen so that you bring out a melody while also playing harmonies expressively, to create tones that are beautiful. Writing also takes a lot of focus. This is especially true when you have young children. Having the ability to focus makes it possible for me to write at different times of the day, in many environments, and to be more productive in my writing.

2. Discipline.
We all have a multitude of activities competing for our attention. The discipline of daily piano practice taught me how to stick with something, no matter what the distractions were. I learned that discipline paid dividends - the ability to play new pieces, make progress, and achieve an objective. Writing also requires discipline. If I only wrote when I felt inspired or motivated, I wouldn't get much writing done. Although I certainly enjoy the days when the words pour out onto the page, the discipline of writing regularly makes it possible to set goals and achieve them. (If you struggle in this area, sign up as a contributor to this blog!)

3. Effective Practice.
I often warn my students, "Be careful how you practice, because practice makes permanent." Sight reading is one thing, but learning and polishing a piece of music is entirely different. It is tempting to start at the beginning of a piece and play it all the way through, ignoring the mistakes. A skilled pianist tackles the difficult sections of music, is diligent to use consistent fingering, and always works at making her next performance better than the last. Writing a first draft could be compared to sight reading. The main idea of a piece comes across. However, to create something of worth and beauty, further refinement is needed. Effectively practicing piano has prepared me for the rigors of editing. Skillfully using language makes it possible to make writing come alive.

4. Appreciating Variety.
My training under the Royal Conservatory of Music exposed me to a vast array of musical eras and composers. Although I enjoyed some more than others, I came to understand the skill and beauty of a wide variety of music. These lessons have helped me to be less judgmental and more appreciative. In my writing, I have also benefited from exposure to a variety of writing and writers. Although I am more skilled in using some styles, making myself aware of a wider variety serves to improve the palette of tools I have available to express ideas to readers. I am also able to appreciate styles of writing which vary widely from mine.

5. Performance.
I do not consider myself a performer. In fact, musical performances often reduce me to a bundle of nerves. Learning music for my own enjoyment is fine. However, I have come to realize that God has gifted me so that I can encourage and inspire others. One idea that has helped me immensely in performance situations is to focus entirely on the music so that I am not as conscious of others who are listening. When I focus on the enjoyment of playing the piano and making the music come alive, nerves tend to take a back seat. Writing for my own enjoyment is fine. However, I have to be willing to be vulnerable to share my writing with others. No one enjoys receiving rejection letters. Most writers I know get discouraged from time to time. However, if we focus on producing the very best writing we possibly can, eventually we will discover the audience God has appointed for us.

Have you found parallels between other skills and writing? I look forward to hearing about them.

Ruth L. Snyder

Check out Ruth's blogs: www.trusteesnyder.blogspot.com (Education information) www.ruthlsnyder.com (Ruth's writing and family life) and www.earlyyearssuccess.com (Information for caregivers of children ages 0-5)

Follow Ruth on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@wwjdr