What's your fear?
- Thread starter karinakro
- Start date
- Status
I'm afraid I've told all the stories I held inside me and they weren't publishable. I've written some wonderful pieces that have been well-received by many, but on submission, the most I got was a couple of requests for a full. No offers of representation, no offers of publishing.
I'm afraid those were my best work and they weren't good enough.
I've pretty much given up any dreams of being a writer. Instead, I'm just a hack who can't finish anything and have no other stories in me except those that have already been rejected.
And I can't go back and rework them: they were on a jump drive that broke and the scraps were on a computer that died and is unrecoverable.
I'm afraid those were my best work and they weren't good enough.
I've pretty much given up any dreams of being a writer. Instead, I'm just a hack who can't finish anything and have no other stories in me except those that have already been rejected.
And I can't go back and rework them: they were on a jump drive that broke and the scraps were on a computer that died and is unrecoverable.
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2009
- Messages
- 6,816
- Reaction score
- 2,789
I'm afraid my voice is dull and my stories are boring. I'm afraid I have diarrhea of the keyboard. I'm afraid I'm really a crappy writer, despite what others have said. I'm afraid because I write horror, people will just assume I'm a crappy writer.
Most of all, though, I'm afraid of the 'but'. Great story, but... Great premise, but... My mother used to give me the 'but'. That looks nice, but...
She did it so much that I supplied the but myself when someone gave me a compliment. I used to say it out loud, but my husband broke me of the habit. What he doesn't know is that I still say the words inside my head. Or maybe it's just my mother's voice I hear.
I'm not afraid of rejection, as long as it has no 'but'. I would prefer a sterile 'no thank you'. It will leave a cleaner wound.
Most of all, though, I'm afraid of the 'but'. Great story, but... Great premise, but... My mother used to give me the 'but'. That looks nice, but...
She did it so much that I supplied the but myself when someone gave me a compliment. I used to say it out loud, but my husband broke me of the habit. What he doesn't know is that I still say the words inside my head. Or maybe it's just my mother's voice I hear.
I'm not afraid of rejection, as long as it has no 'but'. I would prefer a sterile 'no thank you'. It will leave a cleaner wound.
That I will forget my personal Rule #1 of writing fiction:
The worst they can say is "no" so get it out there, and many of them will so get it out there some more.
The worst they can say is "no" so get it out there, and many of them will so get it out there some more.
... that if I manage to succeed by some miracle of miracles in getting a book published I will be so filled with joy that I will begin tearing so profusely that the earth will become flooded and millions will drown.
I'm afraid that I won't finish my book. If I can get as far as getting a rejection letter, I'm going to throw a party. If I can get published, I'll probably pass out upon hearing the news.
Aside from that, I'm afraid the dog is going to steal butter off the counter again and wage biological warfare on our noses all night long.
Aside from that, I'm afraid the dog is going to steal butter off the counter again and wage biological warfare on our noses all night long.
Plot holes. I fear getting into the middle of another story and discovering that, while there is much good stuff in there, the plot is sufficiently flawed to bring me to a screeching halt. Again.
Yeah. With you on that one.
Or...reaching a point where I think, "This is as good as I'll ever get," and still not quite breaking through some invisible barrier.
Or...reaching a point where I think, "This is as good as I'll ever get," and still not quite breaking through some invisible barrier.
I have the unusual fear that I will get published. Yes, that would mean that I had written a book of publishable quality, and that would be all well and good. The trouble is, they'd be expecting me to write another one. And then maybe another. And to a deadline too, most likely. Eeek!
I'm seriously considering not submitting until I have half a dozen good books finished, so I don't have to deal with this problem.
I'm seriously considering not submitting until I have half a dozen good books finished, so I don't have to deal with this problem.
To be mediocre. To sell a little now and then, make a few bucks, but to work without distinction or audience, creating mere literary filler, the kinds of stories that sink into oblivion as soon as they’re released, never to be heard from again.
Kind of what I’m doing right now.
And how do I deal with this? Mostly by ignoring it. Seems to work. Mostly.
I'm with KTC. I'm scared of not getting better.
Also, I'm afraid of spending my life trying, but not accomplishing anything (i.e., getting published).
d&f.
Also, I'm afraid of spending my life trying, but not accomplishing anything (i.e., getting published).
d&f.
Here's a big one. Sitting at your little table at Borders, with all your books around you, pen poised to sign, and NOBODY COMES OVER OR EVEN MAKES EYE CONTACT!!!!
God, I'm hyperventilating right now. In Making a Literary Life, Carolyn See says that part of amassing your lit karma is spending at least twenty minutes chatting with a writer if no one else is waiting to get a book signed. Otherwise that writer could DIE.
Bring on the spidermice and rapacious dolphins, the bears and the walrusi. Just don't leave me alone at the signing table, pleeeeeeeeeeease.
God, I'm hyperventilating right now. In Making a Literary Life, Carolyn See says that part of amassing your lit karma is spending at least twenty minutes chatting with a writer if no one else is waiting to get a book signed. Otherwise that writer could DIE.
Bring on the spidermice and rapacious dolphins, the bears and the walrusi. Just don't leave me alone at the signing table, pleeeeeeeeeeease.
Desensitization! Like, first they show you pictures of the naked person. Then they bring the naked person into the room, but way over there. Then, slowly, the naked person approaches until you can actually touch him. Finally, you let the naked person crawl all over you, and, see? He doesn't bite. In fact, he's kinda cute and cuddly. Gee, why was I ever scared of naked people?
The happy end(ing).
I fear querying. Because of that, I put off writing sometimes. I truly fear it. I'm so tired of rejections, and I hate trying to write the query letter.
Although I have slowly been kinda sorta been improving maybe just the tiniest bit.
Although I have slowly been kinda sorta been improving maybe just the tiniest bit.
- Status