21 Oct 09 Overcoming The Fear Of Writing Rejection
Overcoming the fear is essential to any writer. You just can’t work hard and be successful if you have the fear, because nothing you do will measure up to your anxieties. OF course the fear I’m referring to is how your work will be received. Many people are afraid to have other people read their writing because they can’t face rejection. But if you choose to be a writer, that is an anxiety that you really can’t afford to have. Otherwise you’d have a hard time making a living out of writing projects created only for yourself.
You have to realize that in most cases the fear, or anxiety that you feel could just be a fear of the unknown. You haven’t put yourself out there and been rejected, so you don’t know how it feels. Having that unknown component can make rejection seem worse than it actually becomes.
Try to combat this by writing within your strengths at first. You’ll be more likely to produce content that you actually like by writing on subjects you know about first hand, or are in general very knowledgeable about. Plus you’ll be able to write more effectively concerning information you’re already comfortable with. Don’t push yourself outside your comfort zone in the beginning.
Get all the creative criticism that you can find, and take all of it into account. This is a good step to help you really put yourself out there. Try starting small, with friends or family. Or even if that seems to embarrassing at first, try a writer’s website, where you can retain your anonymity, but still receive feedback. This way nobody knows the writing is yours, or even who you are, and you can get the feedback you need to take into account, to grow as a writer.
From there, when you feel you’ve fine tuned enough, it’s time to take a deep breath and submit that first piece. Whether it’s a story, or an article, etc. The only way that you can get past your fear, is to jump headfirst into submitting your content. Remember that you’re going to get rejected, it’s a fact. Even the greats have gotten a huge portion of their work rejected in the past. You’ll be no different. Rejection is a huge part of the job, just learn to deal with being rejected, and move on.
Most importantly, don’t let rejection stop you. Being a successful writer is more about how you deal with rejection than anything else. So don’t let your fear stop you, because it’s hard to become a writer if you never put your ideas out there.
Tags: Anonymity, Anxieties, Anxiety, Comfort Zone, Conten, Creative Criticism, Deep Breath, Face, Fear Of The Unknown, Feedback, Hard Time, Many People, Overcoming Fear, Rejection
28 Sep 09 5 More Ways to Improve Your Writing Part-VIII
The actual process of writing is indeed a lonely undertaking, but many things happen before you sit and start writing, and these many things shape your writing, therefore going out is as important as is sitting alone to write. In this part of the 5 Ways to Improve Your Writing series, I will talk about the benefits of socializing.
Writing group
Join a writing group in your neighborhood. Make sure it is not very far because distance works as a deterrent for many new writers. If you could not find a writing group in your neighborhood, form one.
Book reading club
Become a member of a book reading club. This will help you refine your existing ideas, and it will also help you get new ideas. Reading is the best advice that can be given to a writer. A writer who does not read cannot produce a good quality work for long. If there is not any book reading club in your neighborhood then form one.
Socialize with writers
Talking to fellow writers will help you unearth many hidden issues, and it will also help you find answers of many unasked questions as well. A practicing writer can become a better guide in telling you how to write, how to use different writing tools, and how to keep your writing simple yet powerful.
Meet someone who is not like you
Meeting a person who is not like you, and who has different point of view, desires, values, etc., will give you a good understanding in human nature. Meet a person of such standing and reflect on the experience you have by meeting him, and the experiences he or she shared with you.
Leave your couch
This is important. Your couch has become your comfort zone, or is it your chair that has become your comfort zone? Challenge yourself and break free. I am asking you to leave your comfort zone, and try meeting new people, and experiencing new things. The more experience you will bag, the better accomplished writer you will become.
Tags: Book Reading, Comfort Zone, Couch, Desires, Different Point Of View, Experiences, Fellow Writers, Good Understanding, Human Nature, Many Things, Neighborhood, Point Of View, Quality Work, Reading Club, Shape, Sit, Unasked Questions, Undertaking, Writing Group, Writing Tools
24 Sep 09 Professional Networking For Shy People
Trying to network when you happen to be a shy person can be a very daunting task. The hardest thing to do sometimes in your professional life is stepping outside of your comfort zone. But in an economic downturn, it’s more important than ever to get your name out there. Maintaining a good score card at your current company just isn’t enough anymore, as that position is not as guaranteed as in the past. Only by making sure others are aware of your skills, and track record, can you ensure that you’re as hirable as possible, should anything happen.
Preparing for the worst is never a bad idea, and that’s especially true of your job. Try to keep that in mind as you brave the networking world, despite your shyness. It’s rough, but try going to professional networking events around you. Whether it be seminars in your field, or any other gathering of the like where other professionals are likely to be found. Or if it helps don’t think of this as just job related, but rather a chance for you to meet more people in the same area as you are. Developing professional relationships with others that know what you’re going through is always a good thing.
Now you just have to battle the route cause of your tendency to be shy in public gatherings. If you fear that you don’t have anything interesting to say, prepare for that beforehand. Because a professional atmosphere is much different than a regular social gathering, just being knowledgeable about your industry is a good start. If you’re good at your job, you’re already well prepared. Just make industry related insights, and you can make connections either with people that share those thoughts, or those that are intrigued by such thinking.
Finally, it’s always a good strategy to bring someone you know to an event, so that you have a partner. You may feel more at ease by bringing a colleague, or friend that you have in the same industry. Anything that helps you feel relaxed and casual. Stay courteous and positive, and you’ll find networking to be pretty easy. You just have to extend your hand so someone else can take hold.
Tags: Bad Idea, Colleague, Comfort Zone, Current Company, Daunting Task, Economic Downturn, Hardest Thing, Insights, Networking World, Professional Atmosphere, Professional Life, Professional Networking Events, Professional Relationships, Public Gatherings, Relationships With Others, Score Card, Seminars, Shy Person, Shyness, Tendency
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