What scares you?
While the world preps for Halloween spookies–typically begun long before darkness descends–its time for writers to engage those spirits.
The real ones that haunt us on a regular basis: fear, pride, taking on more candy than we can chew. Never letting that manuscript leave home so it’ll stay safe from all the night crawlers helps no one. Night crawlers being readers, critique partners, editors, agents. Anyone who can call out those aspects of our work that aren’t what they should be are too often avoided.
Like daylight, or venturing from the safety of cat, couch, and keyboard.
We’re all hiding from something. Plagued by something.
Check out Steve Laube’s killer article–that’s death by laughter–on Writer’s Phobias. Analyzing the truth about what scares you often leads to a humorous defeat of those night bumping specters that are really nothing to fear.
So, what’s plaguing you?
If you name it, you can defeat it. Whether you join the combox with Steve, leave a comment here, or just discuss what’s bugging you with a pal, it’s time to kick those ghosties out of your house.
And out of your head.
Write on!
ANN MALLEY 