Newbie Fears By Linda de Cougny

Who are “They”? Who are these faceless, nameless masses that I attach so much power to? The unconscious collective who en mass I let decide what I do, how I think and most importantly how I feel about any topic or situation. As a newbie writer, the fears of not being good enough and giving my power over to such a collective is real. What if I do “it” wrong? What if I offend somebody? OR…here’s a biggie…What if they don’t like me or my work? Oooohhhh!!! Scary!!! And yes, it’s scary, and just as palpable as my neighbor’s cute but annoying dog who incessantly barks at night. Each little high-pitched yelp nips at my psyche and enters my soul only to make it worse than it really is. Before I know it, the little bugger is happily back in his house, but I allow the noise and distraction live on in me. So…what if I do “it” wrong? My question is: What is “it”? and What is “wrong”? Throughout history if we were all so worried and concerned about doing “it wrong” we would still live in caves. Yes, there are proven guidelines to do almost anything one can think of, but sometimes we need to break away from convention and introduce something new and fresh. That’s called taking a risk. And sometimes taking a risk pays off. What if I offend somebody? Yes, some people are offended by many things. Some are real, some are manufactured. But, really, I can’t go through life worried that I may offend someone. Yes, I can use common courtesy and be aware to the best of my ability, but there is no way to really know who will be or choose to be appalled by what I write. What if “they” don’t like me or my work? Those nameless, faceless masses that I give myself over to. Not everyone is going to like everybody or everything. I certainly don’t. If they don’t like it, they will move on to something else. As for other professionals in the field that are overly critical and who may not like my work as a newbie, well, shame on them for forgetting what it was like when they were new. They will have to own their attitude as I have to own mine. Constructive criticism is helpful and always appreciated; destructive is not. So my question now is…Who are “they”? “They” are the masses of potential readers that I can connect with; the ones who will appreciate my writing. And maybe I can inspire someone to overcome their newbie fears. To read more about Linda and her work, please visit her blog at: https://everything-french.blogspot.com/ Thank you Linda for being on my blog today! I look forward to receiving more of your wonderful articles in the future.