Fear of Letting Go

I've been rewriting my manuscript for my agent. I've read and revised it countless times. It's ready. I think. I'm not sure. Fear is preventing me from clicking Send. Below is a list of my fears, and the pep talks I'm giving myself. Can you relate to any of these?

Fear the writing isn't good enough

My pep talk: the story is sound, and you've followed your agent's sage advice. The words in your manuscript are not carved in stone.

Fear of making a bad first impression on editors

My pep talk: you're submitting your best work. The rest is out of your control.

Fear of rejection

My pep talk: you're a writer, get over it. Harsh, but true. We all experience rejection, even pros like Jane Yolen. If you haven't read it yet, here's a great post about famous author rejections.

Fear I've overlooked mistakes

My pep talk: you've worked hard to catch each mistake. You've read published books with errors, even though they're written by famous authors and edited by pros at the big houses. It proves writers and editors are human, not robots.

Fear of failure

My pep talk: the only sure way you'll fail is if you don't try. Here's a great post about failing your way to success.

Fear of ridicule from friends, family, and peers

My pep talk: your friends, family, and fellow writers are not monsters. They are supportive, encouraging people. They'll have your back during the good and bad times ahead.

Do you experience these same fears, or are there any you'd like to add to the list? Do they prevent you from clicking Send or mailing your manuscript? And what pep talk works for you?

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Letting Go

Creativity can be described as letting go of certainties

- Gail Sheehy

Letting go isn't easy.

Lately, my husband has been teaching our oldest son to drive. I won’t mention my son’s age, in case social services reads my blog. We live on several acres, so the closest things we could crash in to are cottonwood trees and a horse corral.

Last week it was my turn to take our son. While he slowly drove around our property, my hand “rested” near the emergency brake. While we calmly talked about ordinary things, my heart raced. But you know what? My son did great. He was cautious, curious, and respectful of the machine he was driving.

While sitting in that passenger seat, I realized it’s not easy for me to let go. It could be a control thing, it could be a fear of the unknown, I don’t know for sure. But in my mommy life, and in my writing life, I’m learning that letting go is part of the process.

When writers finish a manuscript, we must give it a goodbye kiss and send it on its way. How will my baby survive in the real world? What will other people think? Simply put, there are many things in life we can’t control.

With parenting, and with writing, we can only do our best and let go of the certainties.