The first Wednesday of each month, the Insecure Writers Support Group hosts a blog hop. A blog hop is accomplished through internet magic where links our blogs end up congregated together on a page. Each month a question or questions are generated to stimulate the bloggers’ thoughts about the insecurities of writing. Bloggers can choose to answer the question(s) of the month or discuss other aspects of the insecurities of writing.
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
July 7 question – What would make you quit writing?
The link to the page listing those who have participated in recent months and are probably participating this month I present here: https://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=103850
I can sum up all of the reasons I would quit writing with one word, FEAR. Fear of rejection, fear of censorship, fear of belittlement, impostors syndrome, and a bunch of other phobias.
Photo by Michelle Tresemer on Unsplash
They say the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference. I also have a fear of being ignored. I don’t have this fear because it might happen. It happens all the time. I have been ignored. It is especially painful when my own family ignores me. When I am unable to convince my own immediate family to take five minutes to read something I’ve written, I have a strong urge to just give up, to quit writing.
I have another fear, the fear writing is not my calling. Am I supposed to be writing at this stage of my life? Is writing why I was put on this earth? God isn’t being clear about letting me know enough to get through my thick skull. Is writing my superpower or is driving long distances without sleep?
Laurence McKay - Fiction Writer 
I’m going through that family ignorance also. But I believe it’s better this way because that means I can rant about them without them even knowing. Haha. Only I’m not doing that. What could make me give up writing? Fear of rejection, fear of not being good enough, not getting outside validation, not having enough financial support so I can dedicate more time to writing.
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How about loneliness? Do you also feel like no one can relate to you? I read your latest(?) blog post called “The Journey Begins” and you alluded to the loneliness of writing. The title of your blog also seems to point toward the loneliness of it all, Living Life in the Shadows, Hiding in Plain Sight.
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Yes, that too. I used to feel lonely, but I guess I got over it. Day by day, I got used to it.
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I totally understand this 100%, fear is my biggest reason too. Good for you continuing to write and share, I know how hard it is but when you have the desire to share your art, that definitely makes it your calling!
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If God gave you the gift, He’ll let you know how to use it.
Sorry your family isn’t more supportive. Hang out with us writer types – we get you!
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It’s hard for people who aren’t writers to understand. It’s even harder to be patient with them. I feel you.
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I’m with Alex. If God put the desire in your heart, then He wants you to do something with your writing. Don’t let fear stifle your creativity. Sit down and write. I don’t know if you’ve been published or not. If you have, that should be encouragement. If you have not, then identify two or three markets where you want to be published and work toward the goal. I’m a huge believer in writing short things to market and letting any success there encourage me. Any and all writing can only make you a better writer. Alex said hang out with IWSG. Good advice!
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Fear can be a powerful deterrent.
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Quenntis Ashby in the next comment pointed out how a fear can be a motivation. Fear of being forgotten can motivate a person to write. The written word usually is there forever.
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Laurence, I agree that fear can stop a writer from writing. It definitely stopped me from singing professionally. Every time I opened my mouth to sing, my family would ask if I knew how to hum or whistle. They were not supportive of my voice. I still don’t feel confident when I sing in front of people.
Writing is a kind of immortality. I think my fear of being forgotten motivates me to write at times. Once the words are on the page, they’re there forever (in my mind). So in a way, of all the fears I have, the greater fear of becoming nothing in the end motivates me to write.
Quenntis
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I like what you shared about the fear of being forgotten as a motivation to write. I admit it is a fear which motivates me too. I guess some fears can keep you from writing while other fears motivate you to write.
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Those fears can take a real toll. I don’t think I would ever give up on writing entirely, but many times now I’ve wanted to stop writing for publication and stop showing my work to other people, and it’s precisely because of those sorts of fears.
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I had that fear too but I used my dream of becoming a successful published author during a piece of training, and I’ve never looked back since. If you’re interested, it’s a technique called the New Behaviour Generator – seek out an NLP Practitioner for it.
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Fear can be paralyzing. I’m grateful to have found your blog through the IWSG – a group that I hope to succeed at (it’s only writing once a month, right?) Keep up the good work! I also like the photos you use. Made me smile today!
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Oh yeah, fear in writing can be very debilitating indeed, and what I always do is challenge that fear. Think that my writing sucks? I’m going to share it anyway. That that I can never be a writer? Then I’ll send out more submissions. Oftentimes I find that the fear is just something I made up, and is not the reality. Anyway, thanks for this post!
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