Fear of criticism It is normal to fear criticism of your work, and especially so when you are a writer. There is the very real fear that someone will come along and pull your hard work to pieces. This is natural, but you really need to get over this. Learn to appreciate criticism because it can only help you improve.
Writing may be a solitary endeavor, but one companion plagues every author from time to time: Fear. Writer's block, fear of rejection, and imposter syndrome (the fear of being exposed as a fraud) are all examples of fear popping up in a writer's life.
Struggling writers often lack a strong vocabulary.
They also tend to be repetitive in their word choice and unaware of redundancies in their writing. If asked to restate an idea in different words, for example, they often struggle to do so.
Along with your character's emotional fears, consider introducing external elements that cause fear. This could range from serial killers to falling off a bike. Put your character in physical danger in order to keep your readers on the edges of their seats.
The fear of writing usually originates from a negative experience in one's past. Apart from technicalities, many Scriptophobes are also afraid of fear of rejection, fear of ridicule or the fear of embarrassing themselves or fear of being criticized etc.
Fear is a driver. It drives plot, pace, tension, and emotion—which, when you combine those elements, creates the climax of your story. Status quo would suggest that desire is the predominant motivation pushing a hero towards the climax of a story, and sure, it might be. But fear is a secondary motive.
Fear of failure, for writers, is almost synonymous to fear of rejection. This fear can be dangerous for writers. Most of the times, writers are restrained from great things only because of this failure.
If you are a writer, there is a good chance you've dealt with anxiety at some point in your life or even deal with it daily.
Writing anxiety disorder is real
So, don't let anyone tell you it's not a real problem. It is. And accepting that reality is the first step toward learning how to cope with it and to overcome its worst effects. Don't confuse writing anxiety with so-called “writer's block.” Writer's block isn't a real thing at all.
The causes of writing anxiety are many. Here are just a few: Inexperience with the type of writing task. Previous negative experiences with writing (e.g. someone, maybe a teacher, has given you negative feedback or said negative things about your writing)
It's hard because doing it well matters, because stories matter, and the details matter, and there are often a lot of details. Sometimes they take years to organize. The feelings and ideas and memories that we put into the writing also matter, and are layered, and we can't force an understanding of them.
There is no formula or program for writing well. However, there are certain qualities that most examples of good writing share. The following is a brief description of five qualities of good writing: focus, development, unity, coherence, and correctness.
There are many factors to consider before you start writing. In this learning pathway, we focus on five of them: audience, purpose, context, media, which will determine the language you use.
People with writing anxiety might even get physical symptoms if they try to write, or to over-edit: perspiring, trembling, shortness of breath, pacing, and so on.
Major depressive disorder appears among playwrights, novelists, biographers, and artists at a higher rate than the general population.
Studies of artists and writers collated in Scientific American confirm that artists and writers are up to 20 times more likely to suffer from bipolar disorder (also called manic depressive illness) and 10 times more likely to suffer from depression.