Why You're Still Not Writing, Fear Edition
In my last post, I listed Fear as the number 2 reason why you aren't writing that book you've always said you wanted to write. I gave a few types of fears as well; the fear of being exposed was one of them.
There's an additional fear I left off the list because I think it deserves a post of its own and that's the fear of being triggered by remembering or writing about past trauma.
I'm not here to convince you that writing a book is the cure-all to emotional pain. Writing can be therapeutic if done specifically for healing purposes. I myself have used journaling - writing daily in a notebook - on and off for 35 years as a way to deal with difficult situations in my life. While it was convenient to get my emotions and frustrations out onto paper, I wouldn't call the practice 'healing' by itself. I needed the guidance of a licensed therapist and a lot of time to actually heal my emotional wounds and even now, there is "scaring" that I don't think will ever go away.
What writing does for me and what I believe it can do for anyone, especially if they're wanting to write about troubling topics from their lives or family histories, is it provides a way to distance themselves from the pain long enough to begin working through it. Think of it this way - the process of writing the story is like being a surgeon. The patient is on the table, they've been diagnosed and now the surgeon is going to carefully go in, extract the tumor or repair the break. They're going to do what needs to be done to set the patient up for healing and recovery.
You, as the author, are going to take this set of events out of your mind and put them on paper. You're going to give yourself time and space to look them over with a more discerning eye. You may even dissect them and discover some hidden information that helps you feel just the tiniest bit of relief. You would have set your mind up to begin the healing and recovery process.
It's important to keep in mind when the book is finished, you can put the manuscript away and never look at it again. You don't have to share with ANYONE what you put onto the page in order to benefit from the writing. But, if you do choose to self-publish and share the beginning of your healing journey with others, you'll have what you need to do so simply; in a way that is authentic to and comfortable for you.
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The Simply Self-Published online course - coaching group isn't therapy by any stretch of the imagination. It is a safe space where you can write your book in community with other writers who are facing and overcoming obstacles similar to yours.
You'll have a coach guiding you through the process, who is also available for individual sessions where you can work through some of the more difficult parts of your writing process.
And when it's all said and done, at the very least you'll have completed an important healing first step. And at most, you'll have a complete first draft along with all the tools you'll need to self-publish your work if you choose to. Either way, you'll have finally written that book you've said you've always wanted to write. And that, speaking from experience, is a feeling of satisfaction like you wouldn't believe.
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Registration for Simply Self-Published, the online course and coaching group is open! Click HERE to reserve your spot. Group is limited to 15 participants. Admissions close on September 23rd and our first session kicks off on Wednesday, October 5th, 8 pm EST.
As always, leave any questions, concerns, and comments down below. I look forward to working with you!
Sending light and inspiration,
Dana