what am i afraid of essay

8 Bold Ways to Overcome Your Fear of Writing

by Sarah Gribble | 0 comments

Today I want to talk about fear. Fear of writing, fear of sharing your work, fear of publishing—and how you can overcome it.

Writers face fear on a day-to-day basis.

The self-doubt . The fear of failure. And, oh, the vulnerability.

Writing is hard enough with all the self-evaluation and doubt about your abilities. But then sharing your work with other people so they can critique or review it? CRINGE.

When you sink into that fear it debilitates you. If you let fear hold you back, you’re ensuring you never achieve your goals. You’ll never write that book and you’ll never get published. All because you were too scared.

8 Ways to Overcome Your Fear of Writing

It’s time to stop letting fear control you and get writing. Here’s how:

1. Do what scares you.

When you’re up against something that makes you cringe, ask yourself what the worst-case scenario is. Is it actually  harmful? Unless it’s something like jumping from a bridge into a rocky river or stepping in front of a speeding vehicle, it’s probably not.

Fear is trying to keep you safe. It needs to learn that just because something is scary doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s detrimental to your health. Do what scares you, and keep doing it, and the fear will subside.

This includes fear of our own writing. I'm not saying you have to go write a 90,000 word novel. Start with a short story, or try out some writing prompts.

Aspiring writers might feel intiimdated because they don't think that they are a great writer. The reality is, you can never become a great writer unless you practice—and to practice, you have to write.

Embrace and overcome your fear by putting words down. Start writing, have patience with yourself, and worry about the rest later.

The blank page becomes way less scary as soon as you put words on it.

2. Stop procrastinating.

Your house is already clean enough. That TV show can wait. No, you don’t need to run to the store to pick up a bag of chips.

Figure out when the best time for you to write is and then write.

If you really, truly need a break to clear your mind, set a time limit. Ten minutes of scrubbing the grout with a toothbrush and then get back to your writing.

Ultimately, those who procrastinate will be more prone to writing off procrastination as writer's block—and the more time you spend away from writing, the scary it will become.

3. Learn from criticism.

Criticism is what everyone fears. Not just in writing, but in life. We all want to be liked, to be perfect, to be praised.

Your writing will not please everyone and that’s something you should realize and accept now. Criticism is much easier to take when you go into it knowing that fact.

Don’t just ignore criticism, though. Writing is like everything else in that it requires practice. You don't have to rank #1 on Amazon or make a bestseller list your first go (even though I won't argue that would be fantastic).

The first meal you cooked wasn’t a gourmet meal. The first time you dribbled a basketball wasn’t Lebron-level. Someone was there to point out what you were doing wrong and set you on the right path. They taught you how to get better.

That’s what criticism is: teaching.

It's not  rejecting your work, which might be why some writers fail to share their work: because their fear of rejection is mistakenly associated with getting critiques.

Yes, sometimes it’s mean-spirited, especially in this age of internet trolls. But even in those nasty reviews, there’s normally something to learn from.

Find it. Use it. And do better next time.

4. Stop revising.

You want every sentence in your work to be perfect . I have a secret for you: you’ll never get there.

Your writing will never be perfect. 

Not to you, not to your editors, and not to your readers. It’s impossible, so stop revising ad nauseam. At some point, you have to let it go and put the work out there.

Perfectionism can stunt your creative writing instead of empower it.

To avoid this, set a limit. I prefer three drafts. That’s it. Three and then I let it fly on its own.

What are you writing for? We'll never know unless you decide to share your work.

5. Set goals and move toward them.

Focus on milestones like daily word counts and deadlines (self-imposed or otherwise).

Writing a book is like summiting a mountain: you do it  one step at a time . When you reach the top you might be a little exhausted and out of breath, but you’ll look back at all you’ve accomplished and feel proud.

Without these smaller milestones, it might be hard to finish your piece of writing, or even find the motivation to keep writing each day.

Stories are finished one day at a time, with hard work and a desire to grow your writing process.

Don't sweat the small stuff in your first drafts, like word choice. Instead, set a long term goal of continually learning how to write better and smaller milestones that will help you finish stories you start.

All of this is accomplished word by word, and by turning real and irrational fears into manageable tasks.

6. Embrace the fear of writing.

You’re going to be scared frequently in this business. My stomach still flips every time I submit a short story , even though I’ve submitted hundreds of times. It’s going to happen.

The trick is to acknowledge it and move forward. It didn’t kill you.

In fact, that little tingle of fear should be your signal to celebrate. You did what scared you and that’s amazing.

One book that a lot of writers really love on this subject is The War of Art  by Steven Pressfield. If you're feeling discouraged or swallowed by your fear, check out this book for some motivation.

Even better, find and join a writing group like we have here at The Write Practice. Nothing helps you overcome your fears like a supportive community with a kindred creative spirit.

7. If your character can do it, so can you.

You don’t let your characters sit back on their heels because they’re scared, do you? I hope not, because if you do, you don’t have a story .

Your characters don’t have the luxury of sitting on the bench. They must make decisions and do something about the problem. And so should you.

Don’t let fear of writing take over your writing life. Decide to move forward, to write that book, to send out that manuscript. Decide and then do it.

8. Ask for help if you need it.

Don’t be afraid to ask for time to yourself so that you can write. Your family and friends will understand you need that time because writing is important to you.

Find a group of writers and readers that can go through your story and give constructive feedback. You can't improve in a vacuum.

Need to know what a day in the life of a flight attendant looks like, or the lingo of a truck driver? Ask them. Trust me, you’re not bothering them. People love talking about themselves.

In the same vein, if you need help with research, that’s literally what librarians are for. They’ll be glad to help.

Don’t let fear of asking for help stagnate your writing.

Embrace the Fear

I want to leave you with these words from Carrie Fisher:

Your fears are natural and normal. They're also not the end of the story.

Your task, the challenge for every writer, is to face that fear of writing, acknowledge it, and write, share, publish anyway .

Need extra motivation? Have you checked out The Write Practice’s 100 Day Book program ? It’s the best way to stop letting fear of writing control you and get that book done. Click here to find more information on the course.

What scares you most about writing and/or the business side of writing? What are some steps you can take to overcome that fear?  Let me know in the comments !

Today I want you to spend fifteen minutes writing about a time you were scared to do something but did it anyway. Describe the exact feelings of fear you had. How did you feel after you'd done what scared you?

When you’re finished, share your work in the Pro Practice Workshop here (and if you’re not a member yet, you can join here ).

Sarah Gribble

Sarah Gribble is the author of dozens of short stories that explore uncomfortable situations, basic fears, and the general awe and fascination of the unknown. She just released Surviving Death , her first novel, and is currently working on her next book.

Follow her on Instagram or join her email list for free scares.

Work with Sarah Gribble?

Bestselling author with over five years of coaching experience. Sarah Gribble specializes in working with Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, Horror, Speculative Fiction, and Thriller books. Sound like a good fit for you?

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Writing Anxiety

What this handout is about.

This handout discusses the situational nature of writer’s block and other writing anxiety and suggests things you can try to feel more confident and optimistic about yourself as a writer.

What are writing anxiety and writer’s block?

“Writing anxiety” and “writer’s block” are informal terms for a wide variety of apprehensive and pessimistic feelings about writing. These feelings may not be pervasive in a person’s writing life. For example, you might feel perfectly fine writing a biology lab report but apprehensive about writing a paper on a novel. You may confidently tackle a paper about the sociology of gender but delete and start over twenty times when composing an email to a cute classmate to suggest a coffee date. In other words, writing anxiety and writers’ block are situational (Hjortshoj 7). These terms do NOT describe psychological attributes. People aren’t born anxious writers; rather, they become anxious or blocked through negative or difficult experiences with writing.

When do these negative feelings arise?

Although there is a great deal of variation among individuals, there are also some common experiences that writers in general find stressful.

For example, you may struggle when you are:

• adjusting to a new form of writing—for example, first year college writing, papers in a new field of study, or longer forms than you are used to (a long research paper, a senior thesis, a master’s thesis, a dissertation) (Hjortshoj 56-76).
• writing for a reader or readers who have been overly critical or demanding in the past.
• remembering negative criticism received in the past—even if the reader who criticized your work won’t be reading your writing this time.
• working with limited time or with a lot of unstructured time.
• responding to an assignment that seems unrelated to academic or life goals.
• dealing with troubling events outside of school.

What are some strategies for handling these feelings?

Get support.

Choose a writing buddy, someone you trust to encourage you in your writing life. Your writing buddy might be a friend or family member, a classmate, a teacher, a colleague, or a Writing Center tutor. Talk to your writing buddy about your ideas, your writing process, your worries, and your successes. Share pieces of your writing. Make checking in with your writing buddy a regular part of your schedule. When you share pieces of writing with your buddy, use our handout on asking for feedback .

In his book Understanding Writing Blocks, Keith Hjortshoj describes how isolation can harm writers, particularly students who are working on long projects not connected with coursework (134-135). He suggests that in addition to connecting with supportive individuals, such students can benefit from forming or joining a writing group, which functions in much the same way as a writing buddy. A group can provide readers, deadlines, support, praise, and constructive criticism. For help starting one, see our handout about writing groups .

Identify your strengths

Often, writers who are experiencing block or anxiety have a worse opinion of their own writing than anyone else! Make a list of the things you do well. You might ask a friend or colleague to help you generate such a list. Here are some possibilities to get you started:

• I explain things well to people.
• I get people’s interest.
• I have strong opinions.
• I listen well.
• I am critical of what I read.
• I see connections.

Choose at least one strength as your starting point. Instead of saying “I can’t write,” say “I am a writer who can …”

Recognize that writing is a complex process

Writing is an attempt to fix meaning on the page, but you know, and your readers know, that there is always more to be said on a topic. The best writers can do is to contribute what they know and feel about a topic at a particular point in time.

Writers often seek “flow,” which usually entails some sort of breakthrough followed by a beautifully coherent outpouring of knowledge. Flow is both a possibility—most people experience it at some point in their writing lives—and a myth. Inevitably, if you write over a long period of time and for many different situations, you will encounter obstacles. As Hjortshoj explains, obstacles are particularly common during times of transition—transitions to new writing roles or to new kinds of writing.

Think of yourself as an apprentice.

If block or apprehension is new for you, take time to understand the situations you are writing in. In particular, try to figure out what has changed in your writing life. Here are some possibilities:

• You are writing in a new format.
• You are writing longer papers than before.
• You are writing for new audiences.
• You are writing about new subject matter.
• You are turning in writing from different stages of the writing process—for example, planning stages or early drafts.

It makes sense to have trouble when dealing with a situation for the first time. It’s also likely that when you confront these new situations, you will learn and grow. Writing in new situations can be rewarding. Not every format or audience will be right for you, but you won’t know which ones might be right until you try them. Think of new writing situations as apprenticeships. When you’re doing a new kind of writing, learn as much as you can about it, gain as many skills in that area as you can, and when you finish the apprenticeship, decide which of the skills you learned will serve you well later on. You might be surprised.

Below are some suggestions for how to learn about new kinds of writing:

• Ask a lot of questions of people who are more experienced with this kind of writing. Here are some of the questions you might ask: What’s the purpose of this kind of writing? Who’s the audience? What are the most important elements to include? What’s not as important? How do you get started? How do you know when what you’ve written is good enough? How did you learn to write this way?
• Ask a lot of questions of the person who assigned you a piece of writing. If you have a paper, the best place to start is with the written assignment itself. For help with this, see our handout on understanding assignments .
• Look for examples of this kind of writing. (You can ask your instructor for a recommended example). Look, especially, for variation. There are often many different ways to write within a particular form. Look for ways that feel familiar to you, approaches that you like. You might want to look for published models or, if this seems too intimidating, look at your classmates’ writing. In either case, ask yourself questions about what these writers are doing, and take notes. How does the writer begin and end? In what order does the writer tell things? How and when does the writer convey her or his main point? How does the writer bring in other people’s ideas? What is the writer’s purpose? How is that purpose achieved?
• Read our handouts about how to write in specific fields or how to handle specific writing assignments.
• Listen critically to your readers. Before you dismiss or wholeheartedly accept what they say, try to understand them. If a reader has given you written comments, ask yourself questions to figure out the reader’s experience of your paper: What is this reader looking for? What am I doing that satisfies this reader? In what ways is this reader still unsatisfied? If you can’t answer these questions from the reader’s comments, then talk to the reader, or ask someone else to help you interpret the comments.
• Most importantly, don’t try to do everything at once. Start with reasonable expectations. You can’t write like an expert your first time out. Nobody does! Use the criticism you get.

Once you understand what readers want, you are in a better position to decide what to do with their criticisms. There are two extreme possibilities—dismissing the criticisms and accepting them all—but there is also a lot of middle ground. Figure out which criticisms are consistent with your own purposes, and do the hard work of engaging with them. Again, don’t expect an overnight turn-around; recognize that changing writing habits is a process and that papers are steps in the process.

Chances are that at some point in your writing life you will encounter readers who seem to dislike, disagree with, or miss the point of your work. Figuring out what to do with criticism from such readers is an important part of a writer’s growth.

Try new tactics when you get stuck

Often, writing blocks occur at particular stages of the writing process. The writing process is cyclical and variable. For different writers, the process may include reading, brainstorming, drafting, getting feedback, revising, and editing. These stages do not always happen in this order, and once a writer has been through a particular stage, chances are she or he hasn’t seen the last of that stage. For example, brainstorming may occur all along the way.

Figure out what your writing process looks like and whether there’s a particular stage where you tend to get stuck. Perhaps you love researching and taking notes on what you read, and you have a hard time moving from that work to getting started on your own first draft. Or once you have a draft, it seems set in stone and even though readers are asking you questions and making suggestions, you don’t know how to go back in and change it. Or just the opposite may be true; you revise and revise and don’t want to let the paper go.

Wherever you have trouble, take a longer look at what you do and what you might try. Sometimes what you do is working for you; it’s just a slow and difficult process. Other times, what you do may not be working; these are the times when you can look around for other approaches to try:

• Talk to your writing buddy and to other colleagues about what they do at the particular stage that gets you stuck.
• Read about possible new approaches in our handouts on brainstorming and revising .
• Try thinking of yourself as an apprentice to a stage of the writing process and give different strategies a shot.
• Cut your paper into pieces and tape them to the wall, use eight different colors of highlighters, draw a picture of your paper, read your paper out loud in the voice of your favorite movie star….

Okay, we’re kind of kidding with some of those last few suggestions, but there is no limit to what you can try (for some fun writing strategies, check out our online animated demos ). When it comes to conquering a block, give yourself permission to fall flat on your face. Trying and failing will you help you arrive at the thing that works for you.

Celebrate your successes

Start storing up positive experiences with writing. Whatever obstacles you’ve faced, celebrate the occasions when you overcome them. This could be something as simple as getting started, sharing your work with someone besides a teacher, revising a paper for the first time, trying out a new brainstorming strategy, or turning in a paper that has been particularly challenging for you. You define what a success is for you. Keep a log or journal of your writing successes and breakthroughs, how you did it, how you felt. This log can serve as a boost later in your writing life when you face new challenges.

Wait a minute, didn’t we already say that? Yes. It’s worth repeating. Most people find relief for various kinds of anxieties by getting support from others. Sometimes the best person to help you through a spell of worry is someone who’s done that for you before—a family member, a friend, a mentor. Maybe you don’t even need to talk with this person about writing; maybe you just need to be reminded to believe in yourself, that you can do it.

If you don’t know anyone on campus yet whom you have this kind of relationship with, reach out to someone who seems like they could be a good listener and supportive. There are a number of professional resources for you on campus, people you can talk through your ideas or your worries with. A great place to start is the UNC Writing Center. If you know you have a problem with writing anxiety, make an appointment well before the paper is due. You can come to the Writing Center with a draft or even before you’ve started writing. You can also approach your instructor with questions about your writing assignment. If you’re an undergraduate, your academic advisor and your residence hall advisor are other possible resources. Counselors at Counseling and Wellness Services are also available to talk with you about anxieties and concerns that extend beyond writing.

Apprehension about writing is a common condition on college campuses. Because writing is the most common means of sharing our knowledge, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves when we write. This handout has given some suggestions for how to relieve that pressure. Talk with others; realize we’re all learning; take an occasional risk; turn to the people who believe in you. Counter negative experiences by actively creating positive ones.

Even after you have tried all of these strategies and read every Writing Center handout, invariably you will still have negative experiences in your writing life. When you get a paper back with a bad grade on it or when you get a rejection letter from a journal, fend off the negative aspects of that experience. Try not to let them sink in; try not to let your disappointment fester. Instead, jump right back in to some area of the writing process: choose one suggestion the evaluator has made and work on it, or read and discuss the paper with a friend or colleague, or do some writing or revising—on this or any paper—as quickly as possible.

Failures of various kinds are an inevitable part of the writing process. Without them, it would be difficult if not impossible to grow as a writer. Learning often occurs in the wake of a startling event, something that stirs you up, something that makes you wonder. Use your failures to keep moving.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Hjortshoj, Keith. 2001. Understanding Writing Blocks . New York: Oxford University Press.

This is a particularly excellent resource for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. Hjortshoj writes about his experiences working with university students experiencing block. He explains the transitional nature of most writing blocks and the importance of finding support from others when working on long projects.

Rose, Mike. 1985. When a Writer Can’t Write: Studies in Writer’s Block and Other Composing-Process Problems . New York: Guilford.

This collection of empirical studies is written primarily for writing teachers, researchers, and tutors. Studies focus on writers of various ages, including young children, high school students, and college students.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Conquer Your Fear of Writing With These 5 Top Strategies

Let’s talk about your fear of writing.

We’ve all been there.

When I was in my early twenties, I did too. I told people I wanted to write a book. There was just one problem. I wasn’t writing anything.

I believed I wasn’t ready to write, and I needed some anointed mentor to pull me aside and say, “Bryan, now is your time.”

I became jealous of the success of people around me and grew sick of my lack of progress.

So, I joined a fiction and non-fiction writing workshop in Dublin. On the second evening, the instructor said every student had to submit a short story.

I was afraid.

I hadn’t written a short story in years, but I didn’t want the class or the instructor to know this.

A writer in a writing class, who doesn’t write, is a fraud.

I went home, and I wrote. I wrote that night and the night after that. And I wrote until I finished my first short story. It was terrible – the instructor told me this later – but that didn’t matter.

Then, I created a plan for writing and publishing my book .

Fear of writing is a terrible thing, but you can easily conquer it.

Here are five common fears new writers face with strategies for overcoming each one of them.

Strategy for Facing This Writing Fear:

Strategy for facing this writing fear:, the final word on conquering your fear of writing, [listen] how to overcome your fear of writing, what is fear of writing, why do i get nervous when i write, how do i overcome my fear of writing, 1. i don’t know where to start .

Telling someone to “just start writing” is a tough commandment.

I know because that’s what they told me.

For years, I couldn’t start. I’d open up my word processor and then switch to my internet browser for research.

I’d answer my email, or see if there was something I wanted to buy on Amazon. Afterward, I’d check my bank balance and feel depressed.

It went on like this until I disappeared down a rabbit hole of meaningless internet searches and doing anything but the most important work of every writer.

Then, I learned how to start by creating triggers for writing . These include:

• brewing coffee
• setting a timer for how long I want to write
• disconnecting from the internet

My routine for becoming a writer involves doing this at the same time each evening or morning. As a reward, I browse the internet, watch a movie, or exercise. It’s ritual, and it means I need not think about the act of starting.

To the outsider, this ritual looks boring, but it helps me write. That’s more exciting than anything else I could do in my free time.

If you’re having trouble starting, remember: It’s your job to turn up and do the work. Steven Pressfield writes in the War of Art:

We’re facing dragons too. Fire-breathing griffins of the soul, whom we must outfight and outwit to reach the treasure of our self-in-potential and to release the maiden who is God’s plan and destiny for ourselves and the answer to why we were put on this planet.”

Once you’ve learned how to turn up and work on your own writing each day, consider it a victory to write for ten minutes without getting distracted.

The next day, aim for fifteen minutes. The day after, write for twenty minutes.

Let these small personal victories accumulate over time, and you will become the type of writer who never worries about writer’s block .

2. I Will Be Rejected

Many writers worry about the fear of failure and fear of rejection. Self-doubt is a pervasive problem for writers.

I’ve written and published several books on Amazon including The Power of Creativity and This Is Working .

I am nobody.

While writing the former, I was afraid others would say: “What right do you have to explain how to write about creativity?”

I also knew I’d spent hours researching proven creativity methods and techniques and studying how artists work. I’d read dozens of books by authors explaining how they work, and I knew enough to organize my thoughts into a book.

Even though I am nobody, I gave myself permission to write a book because writers must start somewhere.

Give yourself permission to write. It doesn’t have to be a great article or book the first time around.

If this is difficult, remind yourself that everyone who wants to become a writer, must start somewhere, and now is your time.

Helen Keller wrote the Story of Her Life at aged 22.

Anne Frank wrote her autobiography when she was just 15.

Franz Kafka finished his first novel in his twenties.

These are extreme examples, but I’m an extreme person.

3. I Can’t Finish

Finishing is harder than starting.

When I was in my mid-twenties, I spent years struggling to finish anything. I wrote dozens of short stories and abandoned them. I thought of articles I wanted to write for newspapers; I researched them and then I never finished them.

There wasn’t any one moment when I learned how to finish my work and become a writer . Instead, I got a job as a journalist writing for a newspaper. There, I had to finish my articles by a deadline because if I didn’t, the editor would fire me.

I know this because he called me into his office after I missed a deadline and told me.

I stopped polishing my articles until they were perfect and I finished them. On more than one occasion, my editor sent the articles to me, saying I’d left out an important paragraph or my introduction needed reworking.

This criticism made me want to quit.

On other occasions, the sub-editors of the paper reworked my article entirely. Having my work being taken apart like this was brutal, but at least I was getting paid to write.

I learned from their feedback, and I learned by finishing what I started.

If you’re having trouble finishing your work, pick a target word-count for each writing day and stick to it. 500-words might be enough to make real progress on your book.

Set artificial writing deadlines and stick to them. Enter contests and submit your articles to magazines or to websites when these deadlines elapse.

Make a public commitment to a group of people you trust, e.g. a writing group.

Start a blog.

As you get into the habit of tackling the blank page and finishing your work, you will win more opportunities to gain critical feedback.

And a natural writing process will evolve over time.

Feedback will give you the confidence to keep writing, and a consistent writing process will turn you into a better writer.

You will become a better writer by finishing what you started .

4. They’ll Judge Me

I don’t like publishing posts like this. They’re hard work, and they’re more personal than a guide or a review. I almost deleted this post several times, before I hit publish.

What’s to enjoy about revealing a job didn’t work out, I was lazy, and my work failed?

Stephen King made me do it.

In On Writing, Stephen King says:

“Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open.”

I could lock myself in a room and write about a caretaker of a hotel who goes insane and tries to kill his family (The Shining). Or, I could explain how to overcome the inertia of perfectionism .

Or I could write about rejection.

Spend more time creating than consuming.

Show the world what you created. And then let them judge a piece of writing in all its ugly imperfections. Respond if you need to or move on.

To worry about negative judgments is an irrational fear for many new writers. One day, it might be an issue if you’re publishing a best-seller.

But when you’re starting off, your biggest problem is capturing the attention of readers.

And if you still find yourself procrastinating because of this fear, remember:

It’s better to be judged than to be ignored.

5. My Writing Skills Are Poor

Believing you need to acquire more skills is another irrational writing fear. It’s also a precursor to procrastination.

Did J.K. Rowling know enough about writing fantasy or creative writing when she set down to write the first Harry Potter book in her twenties?

Did Malcolm Gladwell know what it took when he set down to write Blink in the early 2000s?

Sure they’re talented, by they also improved their writing skills by doing.

The simple fact is turning up and writing consistently will help you acquire the skills you need to write and publish articles and books that readers want. After all, you can learn by doing.

The good news is it’s easier than ever to improve your writing skills. You can easily study how top writers and authors approach their craft by taking courses on learning platforms like Masterclass and CreativeLive.

Masterclass, in particular, has courses by writers like James Patterson, Malcolm Gladwell, and Margaret Atwood.

I also recommend hiring people to help you.

You could work with an editor who will help you find and fix writing mistakes in your manuscripts and early drafts. It’s possible to learn a lot from editorial critiques.

Some days, a writing fear will come through. How you deal with these writing fears is what matters.

Take rejection.

I was rejected three times over the past week.

• I contacted five authors I admire with interview requests. Four of them said no.
• I asked several podcasting experts for their advice for a guest blog post I’m working on. Half of them didn’t reply.
• I pitched guest posts at three big blogs, two of which said no.

These rejections are normal experiences for writers though.

To become a writer, rejection waits at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of your work. It goes where you go. Everybody who succeeds gets rejected.

By turning up and creating, you cut through your fear of writing. Even if some people reject your work, others will embrace it. The next blog you pitch may accept your ideas. You could win the next contest. Your next interview request may be granted.

If you want to write better, start today. Write now. Write like your life depends on it.

Writing Fears FAQ

Derived from the Greek word for writing (script) and fear (phobos), scriptophobia defines a fear of writing in public. Although many writers create alone, they worry about what happens if others read their work or it’s published.

It’s normal to get nervous before anything new or outside of your comfort zone. If you’re feeling nervous, you’re probably new to the act of writing or working on a topic outside of your comfort zone. Both are good signs as it means you’re challenging yourself.

Sink into your fearful emotions and start writing your article, story or book. You’ll have an opportunity to fix problems in your creative writing projects later during the editing process. You can also work with an editor who will help you turn a messy draft into something readers enjoy. By writing and publishing more consistently, you’ll overcome your fear of writing.

Bryan Collins is the owner of Become a Writer Today. He's an author from Ireland who helps writers build authority and earn a living from their creative work. He's also a former Forbes columnist and his work has appeared in publications like Lifehacker and Fast Company.

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Anxiety about academic writing: I'm afraid

• Am I the only person who feels like this?
• I never have enough time
• I'm a bad writer
• I don't know enough
• Writing is too hard

You might be feeling:

• I'm afraid that I'm not as smart or capable as other students.
• I'm feeling overwhelmed and I don't even know where to start.
• I'm already struggling in my class, and I'm afraid I'm going to fail this essay. If I don't pass the essay, I'll fail the course. If that happens, I may have to quit my program, and then I'll have failed myself and the people who support me.

What can you do right now?

Emotional strategies

• Consider your fear from a rational perspective and ask yourself these questions:  What are you actually afraid of? How realistic is the outcome you're afraid of? What can you do to protect yourself from that outcome?
• Pay attention to where you're feeling the fear in your body. Now try a few long, slow, deep breaths. How does that part of your body feel now?
• Try facing your fear straight on by setting yourself a small writing goal and then do it.
• Ask for help from the Counselling Centre, the Writing Centre, and your instructor to give yourself the best opportunity to feel supported. 

Writing strategies

• Listen to a pep talk about the anxieties typically experienced by new graduate students: Gradschoolitis.
• If you're feeling overwhelmed, start at step one ("Understand the Assignment") in " How to write an undergraduate-level essay " or " How to write a graduate-level essay ". Use the 12-step process provided in each guide to help you move step-by-step through the process. of completing your document.
• Make an appointment to speak with your instructor to learn more about what you need to do to ensure you pass the essay. Once you have that information, book an appointment to speak with us in the Writing Centre so we can provide suggestions and information to help you succeed.

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Where can you learn more?

Counselling Services

• "A guide to fear mastery"

Writing Centre

• " I'm a new graduate student at RRU and I'm terrified by academic writing. Can you help me? " 
• " How to write an undergraduate-level essay "
• " How to write a graduate-level essay "  

Ask for help

[email protected] (250) 391-2600 ext. 4515   Book an appointment

[email protected] (250) 391-2600, ext. 4353 or 1-800-788-8028 Book an appointment

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• Last Updated: Sep 9, 2023 2:11 PM
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• EXPLORE Random Article

How to Overcome Fear of Writing

Last Updated: April 21, 2022 References

This article was co-authored by Melessa Sargent and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Madden . Melessa Sargent is the President of Scriptwriters Network, a non-profit organization that brings in entertainment professionals to teach the art and business of script writing for TV, features and new media. The Network serves its members by providing educational programming, developing access and opportunity through alliances with industry professionals, and furthering the cause and quality of writing in the entertainment industry. Under Melessa's leadership, SWN has won numbers awards including the Los Angeles Award from 2014 through 2021, and the Innovation & Excellence award in 2020. This article has been viewed 2,911 times.

Whether you’re writing an essay, a cover letter, a novel, or anything in between, having a fear of writing can make it hard to start. Overcoming this fear may take some time, but it can be done! By calming your anxiety and building your self-esteem, you can get confident in your writing abilities and reduce your unease about writing.

Building Confidence

• Remind yourself that you can create great work.

• Explaining things well (great for scientific papers).
• Having strong opinions (good for persuasive essays).
• Valuing your own skills (great for cover letters and resumés).
• Making connections while reading (good for novels and summaries).

• This is especially helpful for formats like essays, scientific papers, or summaries.
• Resumés and cover letters have specific formats to follow that you can find on Google.
• If you’re writing for a class, your teacher may be able to show you examples of what they’re looking for.

• If you don’t feel comfortable meeting in person, look for online writing groups instead.
• Check out your local community center or community college for groups like this. [5] X Research source

• If you’re in college, you can also visit your school’s writing center to meet with a tutor.
• If you aren’t writing in an academic session, your friends or family members can help you out a lot.
• If you’re working on a novel, try hiring an editor to give you feedback.

• You don’t have to incorporate every revision you get if you don’t want to, but it can be helpful to get feedback from someone with fresh eyes.

Starting to Write

• Research paper: Brainstorm ideas for a topic, do preliminary research on the web, write the introduction paragraph, create an outline for body paragraphs.
• Resumé/cover letter: Look up job positions, pick out keywords to include, create sections and categories.
• Novel: Write out general timeline of events, come up with backgrounds for each main character, pick a location for the story to take place.

• Write a rough first draft by May 2nd.
• Get feedback on the rough draft by May 5th.
• Edit and create a polished second draft by May 12th.
• Meet with the writing center to edit the second draft by May 15th.
• Revise and turn in the final draft on May 23rd.

• Starting with the body of your paper can actually make writing much easier, since you can use an intro and a conclusion to summarize the rest of your writing.
• Or, if you’re writing a cover letter, you might want to start with your closing paragraph first.
• When you’re writing a novel, working on the climax scene might help you get the ball rolling.

• Try not to edit as you go—this will only slow you down. Instead, have dedicated writing times and dedicated editing times.
• It may help to keep your goal in mind as you work. When you think about the big picture, it can help lessen any fear or anxiety you have about writing.

Expert Q&A

• Try not to expect perfection from yourself. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be done. [12] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Pick a relaxing area without distractions to write in, like the library or your room. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/confidence.html
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/writing-anxiety/
• ↑ Melessa Sargent. Professional Writer. Expert Interview. 14 August 2019.
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/career-transitions/201007/writing-anxiety-and-the-job-search
• ↑ https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/wrd/chapter/overcoming-writing-anxiety-and-writers-block/
• ↑ https://goaskalice.columbia.edu/answered-questions/writing-papers-makes-me-anxious

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Using Psychology

Do you have an essay-writing phobia.

by jmalouff | Sep 30, 2011 | Uncategorized | 85 comments

A few years ago another academic and I were walking with a student (“Kiki”) who said that she always handed in essay assignments two weeks after they are due — the last day before she would receive a 0. Each time she lost 20% of the total possible points due to an automatic penalty of 2% per work day late. Over the long run she was ruining her chances of going on to postgraduate study. The other academic walking with us started to tell Kiki that the university had now extended the penalty period to three weeks with a maximum penalty of 30%, but I elbowed him right away and shook my head. I knew that if Kiki heard this news she would change to submitting three weeks late and suffer an extra 10% penalty. I knew that because I understand phobias, and Kiki had one — essay-writing phobia.

This phobia involves fear and avoidance of writing an assigned essay and/or submitting the essay. In addition to lateness penalties, the avoidance can lead to last-minute writing with its attendant stress, poor quality, and low marks. This phobia is more common than you might think.

What causes essay-writing phobia? The causes are similar for all types of phobias. The main factors likely to contribute here are genetic, biological predispositions to feel anxious, perfectionism in general, setting an unrealistically high goal for the essay, low self-efficacy for writing in general or for the specific essay, and low levels of self-control. Two other possible factors: Avoidance helps the person feel much better in the short run by reducing anxiety, and avoidance with frantic last-minute writing gives the person an ego-protecting excuse for earning a low mark.

So what is the way out of essay-writing phobia? I’ll suggest 10 strategies in order of value for most individuals:

1. Change your goal to something realistic and valuable, like doing your best under the circumstances or submitting on time or ending your avoidance. Put aside goals of being perfect and impressing the heck out of someone.

2. Gradually expose yourself to what you fear. Write the easiest part of the essay first — start with your name or the title. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Then write the next easiest part and so on, all the way to submitting. Praise yourself for courage at each step. Use my favorite definition of courage: Doing the right thing even tho scared. There is a great deal of research evidence that gradual exposure helps eliminate phobias.

3. Discuss your fears with someone who cares about your welfare or write in a journal about your fears. Bringing them out in the open will help you deal with them.

4. Calm yourself thru deep breathing, meditation, or some other means.

5. Focus on the task at hand — tell yourself what to do next on the assignment. Think that you are writing a draft that you will improve later, if necessary. Positive thoughts often lead to positive behavior.

6. Challenge self-defeating thoughts such as “Ï can’t do this” by thinking clearly about what “this” is and by looking for evidence from the past about whether you can do it.

7. Think of times you have written good essays and submitted on time.

8. Think of how you overcame some fear before in your life.

9. Think of individuals you admire who acted bravely.

10. Write in a new location or using a different method, e.g., paper rather than laptop. The change of procedure might give you a new perspective or expectation.

Those are my thoughts. For a case study describing treatment of essay-writing phobia, see http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0005796786900422.

What helps you reduce essay writing fear and avoidance?

John Malouff, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology

[Photo by Tyler Nix on Unsplash]

85 Comments

I never liked writing papers, stories were easy, essays were always hard. It didn’t help that we were never really taught how to write a paper and I never had encouraging peers to help me. My best friend through part of high school helped me on my first essay of the year for a teacher and I got a B, but when I asked for her help again she refused and I got a D. Plus this teacher didn’t like me or my family, our grades were lower by default. No matter what we did. My cousin once switched the names on two papers, his and another student who always got A’s in her class, and the paper the other kid wrote with my cousin’s name on it received a D and the one my cousin wrote with the other student’s name on it received an A. But still, I am always scared about my papers, maybe that teacher was right and I am terrible at writing papers. My college career has suffered terribly because some part of me in convinced that I’ll never get better and that no one can help me. I haven’t told my school’s counselor yet, due to fear of judgement and I endlessly skip classes after a paper is due because of fear of judgement too. I really want to end the fear but it just feels like it’s eaten me alive and biting down on me.

Hi Kim. A counselor or psychologist might help you change your thinking and reduce your suffering. Those of us who work in mental health (and who are competent) do not judge clients. Our goal is to understand them and help them.

Writing is a skill, like riding a bike. With good training, practice, and helpful feedback, almost anyone can improve. It helps to set improvement, rather than perfection, as a goal.

Best wishes, John

So, if writing anxiety is having a debilitating effect on your life, how do you find skilled professionals who can focus on this issue specifically, as opposed to just general anxiety counseling?

Hi Doug. When you go to a psychologist or counselor, state your goal of reducing writing anxiety (and related avoidance, probably). Say you want to focus on that problem alone for now.

You won’t find a mental health professional who specializes in writing phobia, but in a big urban area you could find someone who specializes in anxiety treatment or phobia treatment.

John, thank you for this post. I feel less worthless just being able to formulate my problem to myself. Is it possible to develop an essay writing phobia over time? I am a first year postgrad and I consistently receive good grades, I have even won prizes for my writing and for being top in some of my classes in undergrad. I never had to try very hard in school. Over the years I have procrastinated on essays, but it got worse over time. I started off just doing all-nighters, starting essays the night before they were due but but still handing them in on time, and getting top marks, justifying to myself that I might procrastinate but at least I never miss a deadline. This probably started in mid high school. Then, in my 2nd and 3rd years of university I would start to hand things in after the deadline, counting on the fact that my lecturers knew me and didn’t really care that much about deadlines, as long as I produced top quality work. I would usually get away with it, even though I know I shouldn’t have, but there were a couple times when I’m sure I could have gotten a better grade if I started earlier. And I know I have never produced my personal best work, but only what I deemed the minimum to get the grade I wanted. The thing is I love university, I go to lectures, generally have no difficulty studying for exams, or making presentations, doing readings, other kinds of homework and assignments etc… I remember one friend of mine was puzzled by my behaviour when I missed a deadline for an essay, I told him “I’m just lazy”, but he said he knew that wasn’t the case, because he had seen me do my readings weeks before class had started. However, recently, I had to submit a 4000 word article. It is not particularly difficult at all, and I know it is well within my abilities to do it, I have all the research I need at hand and just need to write, but for some reason I haven’t been able to do it. I am almost a month overdue without a good excuse, and dread even opening the document. When I do, I can barely work for 5 minutes without panicking over how much I have to do and giving up, even when I compartmentalise it. I am constantly filled with guilt and self-loathing. In the morning I over-sleep because I dread getting up, knowing I haven’t finished this article. I feel so bad about it, and I keep telling myself that I will get it done today, but inevitably I never do, and just stay up all night procrastinating.

Hi Jan. You are suffering and not functioning completely as a student. It is time for you to consult a psychologist or counselor at your university. That counseling service is a great free benefit at most universities. Use the benefit now.

Jane’s scenario is similar to mine. I started college in 2006 and now 2018 I’m still struggling. I’ve taken multiple breaks, dismissed twice, failed the course 4 or 5 times thinking it would be different but it’s always the same result…. nothing to submitted after staying up all night trying to write it. I have so many papers incomplete because of not being able to finish them. I really would love to get over this phobia, it’s ruining my life.

Hi Tammi. You have had it tough. Is it time for you to consult a psychologist? If you are enrolled at a university, free counselling is likely available.

Dear John, First of all thank you, as have others I encountered the writer’s block. I have taken into account your advice and it really helped to find my own way of overcoming this problem. The trick I came up with is to change who I had in mind when writing my essay. I initially have to write a 20 page-long essay that sums up my year of research. So I wanted to write the way I thought my teacher would expect me to write. But nothing came to mind, and I was left feeling deprived of the ideas that had crossed my mind during my research. And then I thought about the perfectionism, it came with the idea that my teacher would read my essay and I kept thinking about what was expected instead of what I wanted to say. So I decided to write as if my sister was the one I explained my work to. She doesn’t speak english and would in actuality not understand a word of my essay, but she would hypotheticaly not know anything of the subject (this helps to develop the arguments, as if I were teaching her about the subject) and it easied my mind to picture her as the reader of my piece, someone that I don’t associate with grades and judgment. After that, it was simply a matter of time and patience and I have already writen 8 pages that I would be proud of.

I leave that here so that someone might use it as a clue to find their own trick, or simply replicate it. (Forgive me if someone already mentioned this trick in the previous commentaries, I haven’t read them all :))

Excellent, Alix!

As is so very common, “essay writing phobia” is presented as an individual pathology whereas it is actually largely a response to structural and cultural problems in the Academy. One problem is that universities (and psychology departments are esp. guilty of this) do not allow students enough leeway to develop their own voice (as you have done). I am shocked by how often students in social science degrees are told not to write in the first person. That prescription is about 20 years out of date!

Cheers, tjarlz

Thank you so much forthis article and all sharing. I am in tears with a ‘serious’ meeting due with the principle…having missed yet another deadline & extension for a research report that would see me complete my course. I have procrastinated ‘trying to fix everything else in my life’ befire getting down to starting and now I feel paralysed with anxiety, and still avoidance in getting a 2000 word research report done for much of what has been mentioned in the comments before. I am going to do my best to get it done for myself though, even though I think it may be the ‘end’ of my time trying to finish my course at my establishment. The thought of going to this meeting has me so upset to the point I don’t even want to show up at all. The article and your sharing has helped the hurting and worry. Thank you and all the best everyone. I’ll try to give it my best shot and get some help and support from here.

Yes, do the best you can. Then consider what you have learned from the experience.

I’m a 30-year-old software engineer who has had writing anxiety for…well since I was 7 and first had to write a 5-sentence summary of a book that I read. I’ve tried very hard to find a solution to it because it has caused me a great deal of suffering over the years and definitely caused me to be fired at least once. However, while I’ve found academic work on the subject, I’ve not yet succeeded in finding anyone who treats Writing Anxiety or who does Writing Process Training. Do you know of a way to find a professional who has experience in helping people overcome Writing Anxiety? I live in London but would probably want to work with someone over videochat so that I can do so outside of work hours.

Hi Alex. I don’t know any experts on treating writing phobia. I am an expert on treating phobias, but not specifically writing phobias. I could try to help you over Skype, but the times might not be inconvenient.

Hi John. Thanks for writing about this. I was about to send this on to one of my students who’s not handed in an essay but then stopped as I can’t send students something asking them to get naked. An edited version of this would happily go up as a link on my essay-advice page on our intranet. Cheers.

At your request, I changed strategy 10. Also, I added an image to suit the altered strategy, and I added meta-tags to help individuals find the suggestions.

Writing on a mountain, I like it. Looks like it might be Aotearoa New Zealand too, which is even better. Thank you.

I feel exactly like Jtxz! My goodness, I just don’t understand where this resistance comes from! I can do exams, class presentations, case studies etc etc… really well and without any stress… – but not essays! As the end of every semester looms nearer and due dates approach, I seriously think that I spiral into depression as a result of the essays. I can write really good essays, so for me it’s not even about the planning or structure, but I am overcome by the massive internal resistance, anxiety and stress as it comes time to doing them! I have finished my undergraduate degree and am now studying masters and so far it has been almost 10 years of tertiary study. But for the whole time I’ve been constantly docked marks over and over again – some times I’ve even had to repeat subjects because I’ve lost so many marks on papers that would have otherwise been distinctions. I feel like a failure the fact that although I’ve obviously learned the subject content well enough to get distinction level quality papers, I can’t seem to hand them in timely enough to prevent failing the subject. No idea what to do. What I find even crazier is that the course I am doing has nothing to do with writing essays, so why use this method of assessment at all?!?!? I feel like the field i’m studying is where my future purpose lies, but the journey to get there requires strengths that are outside of the skillset required for the field I wish to get into.

Totally feel like giving up – the only reason I haven’t is because I am stubborn. But it’s at the point now, where it’s not just affecting me, its affecting my wife,my son, my friendships etc.

They seriously are the bane of my life!

You and many others are in the same boat. Try all the methods I suggest in the blog entry. Best wishes.

This is what i’m exactly experiencing and i am happy to find articke like this and made me realize that there is really a condition like this. I thought this was a weird to have a problem like this… I have this phobia in essays when i read my essays and essay of my smart cousin, ive realized how lacking i am in putting ideas, the grammars , etc. My esteem on making essays became really low.. I feel like at suck at doing it and my ideas are too shallow etc, i think of things like that. when my prof gives us essay tasks, i dont have the motivation to do it and i ended up cramming and becoming stress.

Elle, I hope you keep writing. Strive not for perfection or for superiority but for competence and timely completion.

I have struggled unsuccessfully with this problem for years. I have consulted an educational psychologist and counsellors and explained the irrational feelings of fear and terror that spring up and pounce at random periods in the writing process. I have either been told that there is no problem or that it is too complex to solve. I weep in shame and I am distraught at not being able to identify the cause. I have always had good grades and years ago I had a couple of articles published in peer-reviewed journals. I have lost confidence in all aspects of writing and I no longer am able to judge what is good or bad in anything I compose. Thus I am plagued with doubt and my writing is stymied. I would like to hope that someone has further suggestions about how to tackle this problem when it strikes. I do want to write and to enjoy writing again.

Hi. I am sorry that you have suffered so much for so long. Try the methods in the blog. If none helps, consult a beahvioral psychologist. You may benefit from gradual-exposure treatment.

I can definitely relate to the essay writing anxiety when I first started university it took a me a while to understand how to write a university essay with the whole citing and referencing system I of course fail my way through essay. I did get some good grades and passed a few of my essay however now I get so much built up anxiety before writing an essay that it does take me two weeks after the due date to hand it in (if I even do that) then of course I get a low grade because of that and so the cycle continues. I have the same thoughts running through my head when I begin to write such as your gunna fail anyway why bother, your not good enough to be at uni, your a failure so why even try, your just wasting everyone time etc I’ve tried to start my assignments early but I just get anxious and end avoiding it then I freak out near the due try to start but end up not finishing it and then I fail which makes me feel worst

Hi there. You are struggling and suffering. Your self-doubt and procrastination are self-defeating. Time to make changes! I suggest facing your fear and taking one or more writing courses. Aim to improve your writing every day. Learn writing rules and apply them Then go on with your usual education — always facing fear like a soldier. If you do not make good progress, consult a psychologist.

One of the things that always helped me personally when it came to research papers/thesis papers was to go through one book at a time, take a TON of notes for what might be relevant (noting page numbers in case I had to go back and quote or clarify context), and then sort my notes by where they might belong: introduction, supporting arguments for idea 1, idea 2, etc., or closing. Then I’d repeat the process with the next book, and keep going until I’d used all of the possible sources. From there, I could then sort the ideas and place them in a more sensible order, and then link the ideas with a narrative. Sometimes I’d toss out certain ideas or notes completely, because they didn’t belong anymore. Another helpful tool for me was to write down an outline of the different ideas I wanted to discuss, and that helped to keep me on track and focus on which parts needed more support or where I didn’t have to keep looking. There were also at least two re-writes – 3 if I could get someone else to look at it for feedback!

Thank you so much for this article! I used to be scared of essays and long answers; the longer the assignment to be written, the greater my fear. Fortunately, we have essays only in languages ( I mean like narrative essays, descriptive, picture composition etc.)

I realise this is horribly behind the last person who submitted a comment, but I thought it might help me to respond, even though no one may read it. I have been out of fulltime study for many years now and so am very out of practice. But 9 months ago I enrolled on a Masters course and am so far floundering badly. My first essay, I confidently approached it, the same way I remember constructing essays when I was at Uni the first time, and I submitted well before the due date and I was confident I had done well. But! (And this is the crux really) the feedback I received was awful. I had just finished a very bad job where I was under ridiculous amounts of stress and used as a scapegoat and my confidence was already shaky. The comments I received from my tutor destroyed me and each essay I have handed in since have been received just as badly that now the anxiety is so great that I can’t even bring myself to begin. How can I get over the crippling anxiety I feel whenever I think about submitting another essay with the knowledge that I will get back, not just a disappointing grade, but a lot of nasty feedback which I am scared to read. I didn’t open my last email to see what my grade was for over a week because I was far too scared to do so, and when I did, it was not at all a pleasant experience.

Hi. You are having an unpleasant return to education! You may need to take a writing course before you take any other courses. For the time being, aim to get as many points as you can. Read the comments and try to improve your writing. Keep in mind that writing is a complicated skill but one that a person can improve with training, practice and feedback. Do the best you can under the circumstances.

As for nasty comments, they have no place in education. You might want to rethink where you are studying.

Best wishes!

I’ve this problem in my whole life. It’s not only caused my bad assignment, but also caused my inability. So whenever my Turkish language teacher gave an assignment, I felt like I was drowning while writing in middle school. More interesting that I wrote more realistic than figurative but this time it caused fault of grade, so I hate literature and writing, but I was a strict reader that times interestingly.

As a result: In my situation, couldn’t write perfect article with great imagination drive me avoiding writing. I want to write again. Thank you

I am reading this page and I know the last comment was 2017, but I still feel the urge to comment! I am a fourth-year university student, I have six months left of my course and I am in the middle of writing my last essay before my dissertation! I made a detailed plan weeks ago, and I have the resources I need for it, but yet I cannot start. I can relate to a lot of these comments and some of them made me cry because I can relate! I have cried for days because I have felt such an intense fear about this essay. I feel it like a burning sensation in my chest, and one day I felt paralyzed with fear over it and fought to even get out of my bed, I felt so low that these feelings were back again. This is something I have dealt with for as long as I can remember. As a child, I grew up in an abusive home and my father would yell at me if I got the answer to a homework question wrong, and would often call me stupid. One time he shouted at me so much, I blacked out, he was in my face shouting at me and calling me names for not knowing the answer, and when the rest of my family came home, he made me lie about it and tell them I passed out because I sniffed tipex (which was untrue but saved him from telling the truth). I believe this is why I have such a phobia of writing! I often am afraid for others to read my work for fear of them laughing at me or not being smart as others. I have this fear even though I have been to university twice and even have written reports to the sheriff, without any complaints about my writing, yet the fear remains. I have a psychologist and do not see her until 1st Dec, so I am currently trying techniques I hope will help me finish this essay. This post has helped me feel like I am not alone, thank you to the writer and everyone who commented. Much love to everyone, we are not alone in this!

Hello. You had a damaging childhood. Your’s father’s abuse may have damaged your self-confidence so much that you doubt yourself. Freud would say that you have introjected your father’s view of you. See: https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychpedia/introjection

Now would be a good time to break free of his negative influence and to write. You have nothing practical to lose and much to gain. Write one word. Then perhaps you will write a sentence. Freedom could be your reward.

Thank you so much for this article, John. Your tips and reading all of the comments have really helped me feel less alone in this post-graduate essay writing phobia hellscape I’ve found myself in. I’m having trouble thinking about something (emotionally) worse than not being able to execute something that is supposed to be your bread and butter- for me, writing has always come naturally, but deadlines have made me want to, well, die. They are called DEADlines after all. Anyway, thank you for this article and this space to engage with others who have this experience. I learned that my procrastination doesn’t come from perfectionism but from avoiding the fear/anxiety that comes with a task.

Thanks again, M.

Feeling alone when completing a challenging task is something to avoid. You could talk with your supervisor/teacher or with someone who provides counselling to students — a free service too few students use.

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How to Take the Fear Out of Writing Your College Essay

One of the most feared and intimidating parts of the application process is the college essay. I can understand why students have trepidation leading up to writing their personal statement. For selective and highly selective colleges, the essay matters. It often defines how the student is perceived by the admissions officer reading their application, and can impact the admissions decision. No pressure, right?

Before beginning the writing process, students wonder how on earth they are going to get across their very best self in 650 words or less. If you're worried and don't know how to get started, here are five tips to calm your nerves:

• You have ALL SUMMER to write your college essay. While there is a small percentage of students ready to write their college essay during junior year of high school, most students need more time. The best essays that I read are almost uniformly written by students during the summer between junior and senior year. Being away from the demands of the school year creates a safe space to take stock and consider the person you are. Most students gain a lot of perspective and maturity once the school year is complete, and this is reflected in a more self-aware essay.
• Pick your topic first and then look at the essay prompts in the Common Application (or another application). Almost anything a student writes about themselves for the main college essay will fit one of the prompts.
• Consider things that not everyone knows about you , or if they do, you don't usually discuss them. What moment, experience, quotation, family saying, daily routine, characteristic, challenge, or lifestyle represents you (and only you) so purely and authentically? The answer will come to you when you consider the person you are because of the life you have lived.
• You don't have to be perfect or come from a perfect family to write an extraordinary essay. In fact, imperfections or complex situations lead to powerful essays about resiliency, understanding, and acceptance.
• The work involved in writing the college essay can truly pay off. It can be the difference between getting admitted and getting denied. You get out of it what you put into it.

"Don't let the #college essay scare you! Here are five tips to calm your nerves" TWEET THIS 

Writing the main college essay can be very empowering, especially when the student sees themselves through a different and positive light. The hardest part is getting started, so keep these five tips in mind to begin!

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About Sara Harberson

Sara Harberson is the founder of Application Nation™, which provides personalized advice to college applicants and their families. In her book, SOUNDBITE: The Admissions Secret that Gets You Into College and Beyond, Sara reveals the secrets of her signature college admissions tool, the "Soundbite," and shares tried-and-tested exercises that have helped thousands of students gain admission to their school of choice. She is the former associate dean of admissions at the University of Pennsylvania and the former dean of admissions and financial aid at Franklin & Marshall College. Sara’s philosophy is that every kid applying to college deserves the best advice.

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Writing With Anxiety

Productivity tips, support, and encouragement for writers with anxiety.

Afraid to pursue your writing career? Learn to overcome your fear

Mental Health , Productivity / June 27, 2022 by Allaya Cooks-Campbell

When you imagine yourself as a professional writer, how does it feel?

Chances are good that when you think about starting your writing career, you feel a mix of excitement and terror. You might worry that you’re not disciplined enough, you won’t make any money, or that your writing sucks.

The thing is, if you’re a writer, you can’t not be a writer. Something inside you needs to get out, and it wants to do it on paper. When you see a blank page, you’re never sure if your heart is fluttering or your stomach is sinking.

If you want to be a writer, but you’re scared, you have to take a look in the mirror and decide: Is this something I can’t not do? If you know that — no matter what — you’re going to have that part of you who wants to be a writer, then it’s worth learning how to overcome your fear.

How do you know if you want to be a writer?

If you’re asking yourself this question, you probably already know the answer.

Ever found yourself sitting in a coffee shop or on your couch, mulling over your words, then you are already a writer. If you have ever had someone tell you that your story isn’t good enough, then you are already a writer. If you have ever dreamt of your book being made into a movie, then you are already a writer. 

As I said, some people are just writers. You won’t be able to do anything else. Even if you have fears and insecurities about your writing, you’ll find that it’s the way you think and express yourself the best.

If you’re not sure you’ve got it in you, look at how other people respond to you. Other people tend to spot the writers in the crowd. Your friends, family, and even colleagues probably think of you as the “word person” — even if you don’t.

Still not sure? Here are some ways to know that writing is in your blood.

Sneaky ways to know you’re really a writer:

• You read for fun all the time — books, newspapers, blogs, anything
• You prefer written instructions to video
• People ask you to write or edit things for them
• You mentally correct typos when you come across them in other people’s work
• You always check the bylines of articles you read
• You’re sensitive about the quality of your writing
• You write when you need to think 
• You have a strong opinion on the Oxford comma
• In school, you’d choose to write a paper over a presentation or exam

Whether you hit every point on this list or not, the fact is that you know — deep inside — whether you’re a writer or not.

The good news? There’s only one qualification you really need to be a writer, and that’s to write. The bad news? Actually sitting down to write can be a lot harder than it sounds. 

What gets in the way? If you want to write, but you don’t seem to be able to, there’s likely a (conscious or unconscious) fear of writing in the way.

What is the fear of writing called?

The fear of writing is called graphophobia .

Of course, most writers are not actually afraid of writing , per se. They’re really worried about something else — whether it be judgment, sharing their work, or not being good enough.

Sharing our writing with others can be an extremely vulnerable process. Even if you’ve been told over and over that you’re a great writer, anxiety can strike every time you start — or share — a writing project.

What causes fear in writing?

Biologically, humans experience fear as a kind of alarm system. The emotion of fear (or anxiety) is meant to let us know that something in our environment is a potential threat.

Fear comes in many forms, but it’s all rooted in the same thing: our perception of danger. It might manifest as a feeling of dread, an emotional response to something that could cause us harm, or an instinctive dash toward safety.

When we’re afraid of sharing our writing, it’s often because we worry about being rejected. When someone doesn’t like a writer’s work, it’s hard not to feel like they don’t like you . Many of us have collapsed people’s opinions of our work with their opinions of us.

When we’re afraid of actually writing — putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard — it’s usually the work of a harsh inner critic. We’re so worried about writing something good that we can’t seem to write anything at all. This becomes a vicious cycle: the worse the self-criticism is, the less inspired and creative we feel, and the more writer’s block takes hold .

You could think of it this way: fear of putting our writing “out there” is anxiety about what others will think, while fear of writing is anxiety about what we ourselves think.

Fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of the unknown — these are all fears that every writer experiences in their work. Experiencing them doesn’t make you less capable or have to get in your way. Getting familiar with the common fears that writers experience can help you recognize and overcome them for yourself.

Common fears that every writer has

“I want to be a writer, but I’m scared.”

Sound familiar?

The fear of writing can cause a lot of distress in our lives — especially if you are, or hope to be, a professional writer. When we feel stuck and can’t move forward, it’s often a specific fear that’s holding us back. 

Writers have a ton of fears, but there are some that are more common than others. Here are five worries that every writer has at some point in their career (or, y’know, every day):

1. Where do I start?

There are two ways that not knowing where to start freaks writers out. The first is that they don’t know how to actually get their ideas on paper and turn them into a finished product. The story, blog post, dissertation, or even email that’s in their head won’t seem to come out.

The second is that getting from your laptop to actually getting paid to be a writer seems daunting. They’re not sure how to get a job as a writer, or if it’s even possible to make money as one.

2. What if they hate my work?

Writers are almost always worried that their audience — whether an editor, a professor, an academic journal, or their readers — will hate their work. It doesn’t matter how much they’ve written, how experienced they are, or their particular field. Everyone goes through this at some point or another.

At its root, this fear of rejection stems from insecurities about the quality of the work and fear of criticism. If the stakes are high, like a dissertation, first novel, or test assignment for a writing job, you might be completely frozen by the thought of a poor response.

3. What if I can’t finish the project?

Writers are often plagued with the idea that they won’t be able to finish their work. They may be worried about the quality of their work, or the amount of time it will take them to complete. They may be worried about how they will manage to write consistently when they don’t feel like it.

As a writer with ADHD, I worry about this every time I take on a new project. Before getting diagnosed, I felt like it was almost impossible to complete assignments. Getting systems in place (and giving myself a little compassion) worked wonders in helping me overcome this fear.

4. What will they think of me?

Writers everywhere have a fear that if they share their work, they’ll be judged. It’s not just about the writing, though that’s a big part of it. If you’re sharing your words, you’re also sharing yourself. 

Your writing is informed by your thoughts, feelings, perspectives, memories, and life experiences. Whether you’re sharing a memoir, a research article, an opinion piece, or even a short story, you’re putting some part of yourself out there.

5. What if my writing sucks?

Many writers are worried that they don’t have the skills to produce quality copy. They feel uncertain about their language skills, grammar, or even whether they understand a topic well enough to write about it. 

Each time a writer takes on a new challenge, the fear of “not being good enough” can pop up all over again. You might feel it before you submit your novel, pitch a publication, write a blog post, or start your first writing job.

How do I get over my fear of writing?

Writers are often faced with a lot of fears when they sit down to write. Fortunately, overcoming your writing anxiety is like building a muscle. There are a lot of different ways to overcome your fear of writing, and no matter which one you choose they all make you a stronger writer.

The more you practice managing the uncomfortable symptoms of writing anxiety , the better prepared you’ll be to pursue your writing career. Here are 9 ways to overcome your fear of writing:

1. Find ways to make writing easier

Sit down and think about what happens when you try to write. Where do you get stopped? Do you get frozen by the blank page, stuck on the first few lines, or pulled into a rabbit hole of research?

Whatever it is, brainstorm ways to make it easier. For example, I start all of my blog posts with an outline. Knowing where I’m going helps me organize my thoughts, and I can jump to different sections when I get stuck.

Start with the basics of your writing project. Write short sentences, jot down ideas that interest you, or talk through your ideas with a writing partner. You can also try talking through your ideas by yourself, with a tape recorder. Apps like Just Press Record will transcribe your thoughts so you can organize them later.

It also helps to break a larger project into bite-sized chunks. You can set smaller goals for the day or even the hour, instead of feeling like you have to tackle the entire project at once.

2. Perfect your own process

People are creatures of habit, and everyone needs some sort of routine in order to thrive. If you need to write every day, you need to develop a process that helps you get the words out. There’s no one answer to this, as long as it puts you in the mindset to do your best work.

You might be a fast writer, slow writer, or somewhere in between. Or you might need absolute silence, or the buzz of a coffee shop. You may outline meticulously or write off-the-cuff. It all depends on what works for you as a writer. 

As an example, I do my best writing in the morning, when I’m the most focused. I outline my projects and do the research (usually with a cup of coffee in hand) until I start to feel out the voice of my piece. And then I write.

I stay in flow best with some light music on in the background. I really like brain.fm for this, since it incorporates neuroscience research to help you focus better.

Note: The above brain.fm link gets you a month for just $1, if you want to try it out!

3. Manage the feelings

The uncomfortable feelings of anxiety can trigger a cycle that’s hard to escape. When you feel those tell-tale symptoms sneak up, you start feeling powerless against them. The more anxious you feel, the less you want to write. The less you write, the more the anxiety takes over.

You might feel like the best course of action is to keep pushing through the anxious feelings, particularly if you’re up against a deadline. The trouble is, those feelings don’t just go away. Trying to work past them might even make them worse. Anxiety tends to get more and more insistent until you just deal with it.

Instead of trying to push through, take a break. Cultivate a list of self-care practices that help you manage your stress. Don’t forget about basic needs, like food, water, and getting enough sleep. You’ll be a much more effective writer if you take some time for yourself first. The more you practice this skill, the easier it will become to identify these feelings and ease them.

4. Realize that no one is perfect

You are not the only one who has insecurities when it comes to writing. In fact, you’re in good company with other successful writers.

She said: ‘We all spend our twenties and thirties trying so hard to be perfect, because we’re so worried about what people will think of us. Then we get into our forties and fifties, and we finally start to be free, because we decide that we don’t give a damn what anyone thinks of us. But you won’t be completely free until you reach your sixties and seventies, when you finally realize this liberating truth — nobody was ever thinking about you, anyhow.’ Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic

One of the beautiful things about writing is that the process involves being imperfect. You write, you draft, you edit, you ask for feedback, and you write some more. You get rejected and you move people to tears. 

And honestly — it never has to be perfect. Some of the best books in history aren’t, and neither are the writers. I’m quite possibly the biggest Lord of the Rings fan around, and even I recognize that Tolkien never met a run-on sentence he didn’t like.

Embrace the revisions as part of the process. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and neither do you.

5. Learn to love a deadline

I know. You’re trying to be less anxious about writing, and here I am talking about deadlines.

Though it can be hard, it is always better to write when you have a deadline — even if it’s a self-imposed one. Give yourself the time and motivation you need to get into the mindset of writing. Having a deadline is one of the best ways to push past perfectionism, procrastination, and insecurity about what others think of you.

Embrace the attitude that done is better than perfect. You can always revisit, revise, and even retract if necessary. Set milestones along the way so you can keep your momentum high and anxiety low.

6. Embrace what inspires you 

Writers are often looking for inspiration; if they’re not, they usually struggle with where to go next. It’s important to create an environment where you feel inspired and ready to create.

You don’t have to go full Walden here — just think about how you need to feel in order to write. I need to be comfortable, focused, and reasonably happy. I have a few spots that make me feel that way (my desk, various cafes, etc) so I go there when I need to work.

For bonus points, cultivate practices that uplift you. Make it a habit to exercise regularly, take walks in nature, play with your kids or pets, or take bubble baths. Taking care of your writing instrument (that’s you) is part of being the best writer you can be.

7. Ask for feedback

It’s important to know your strengths and weaknesses as a writer and use them accordingly. If you know that you are not the best at grammar, then finish your draft and get your really nitpicky friend to read it over. Focus on what you’re best at and build support for everything else into your workflow.

There are lots of ways to become a better writer. You could find editors for your work, use an outline, join a writing community, and read more books and articles. Think of it as continuing education for your new career.

You’re going to be judged by your writing, and that doesn’t mean you should withhold what you have to say for fear of being criticized. If you believe in your work, you’ll be sharing it with others. Embrace feedback as part of the process.

8. Connect to your work

As you grow in your writing career, you might find yourself having to write things you don’t really want to write about. Try not to let this take up the bulk of your time.

You need to be able to be yourself when writing so that your audience can relate more easily. Writing about something you’re passionate about makes it much easier. You’ll be more confident, have more fun, and your readers will sense your engagement.

9. Keep writing

No matter what, keep writing. The more you write, the better you get, the more you learn, and the more likely that someone will like your work and want to publish it for others to read.

Remember that there is an audience out there who wants to hear your story and learn from you. The world needs more writers, not more perfectionists.

The truth is, content doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be free of errors, and relatively readable. Great writing is in the eye of the reader, and great writers create value for their readers. You won’t learn how to do that until you put yourself out there.

Writing can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be

We all have a fear of writing. It is a natural instinct to avoid something that can be difficult and even painful. But writing is not just about the act of putting words on paper, it’s about conveying your message in such a way that it has an impact on your readers. They’ll learn from your words, but also from your example. Be brave in your writing process so you can be brave in your life.

About Allaya Cooks-Campbell

Allaya Cooks-Campbell is a blogger, web developer, professional copywriter, and content strategist who began publishing content online over fifteen years ago. Since then, her writing has been featured in publications such as Huffington Post, Today, Readers’ Digest, Motherly, Romper, Well+Good, Scary Mommy, and The Kitchn. She works as a news editor for Health Digest and is a regular contributor to the Wellanin Collective blog. Allaya is currently a full-time staff writer and editor, and runs a boutique content agency, Alaya Media.

The 7 Skills Necessary to Overcome Fear

Fear is the ultimate form of emotional baggage..

Posted January 10, 2021 | Reviewed by Kaja Perina

• What Is Fear?
• Find counselling to combat fear and anxiety

Emotional baggage comes in many forms and can affect many areas of your life. It can creep into relationships, career , parenting , achievement and even the way that you manage your health.

The ultimate whammy that emotional baggage brings to the table is fear . Huge, in your way of getting anything done kind of fear. Because what baggage does is tell you that you are not capable. You are no good. You are too fat. You are unlovable. You are damaged somehow. You are not smart enough, others are better than you.

These messages all bring about the bottom line of keeping you afraid of trying things or putting yourself out there. This is because you believe the messages are correct and that you will fall flat on your face in some way. That failure will make you a laughingstock and people will say “I told you so”.

Sometimes fear can be healthy and keeps you safe. Staying in safe city zones or in lighted areas is a form of a healthy preventative fear. Remaining stuck in a bad relationship, bad job or some other unhealthy situation is an example of bad fear.

Maybe you aren’t in a bad situation but you would like to change your situation and something is holding you back. That something is usually fear. That fear comes from someplace inside you that is screaming don’t be stupid, you can’t do that!!

But you have no proof that you can’t do it. You are only hearing your fear talking and that fear is coming from some old, outdated and incorrect message stored in the archives of your brain.

Let this be the year you clean out all those old messages. Test them out to see which ones hold water. I bet not many. The fear can be so great you are afraid to eliminate it, believing that it serves you in some way. Just like any other kind of clutter, we think we may need it someday. Maybe you think it is keeping you safe. But what it is really doing is keeping you limited.

So, what to do with these old fears and messages?

Bring them out in the open. Invite them in for a little chat. What is your biggest challenge right now in life? Associate whatever fear and negative messaging comes with it. You don’t need to look at them all at once, when you start breaking them down you will see that some will go away naturally. The worst thing you can do is ignore them. If it feels like too much just sit with the thoughts for a bit without demanding change. Get comfortable with them so you can spend some time.

Everyone has fear. It is how you deal with it that matters. Allowing it to limit you is a life suck. Seeing it as a challenge that needs to be overcome and making a plan for it empowers you and puts you in control of your life.

It is not enough to say, "I am afraid of that". You have to look at why you are afraid and what it would take to not be afraid. You can break it into baby steps that match your comfort level of change.

The biggest step is to see fear as baggage and not as a rightful appendage. Those negative and fearful ideas came from somewhere, it is your job to determine where so that you can go about eliminating them.

Eliminating Fear Involves Learning These 7 Skills:

• Learn to trust yourself- trust that you will make good decisions, research and learn what you need and if you make a mistake you can correct it.
• Take ownership of your life -Taking purposeful action rather than reacting to events.
• Identify the components of your fear. (Rejection, failure, so on).
• Neutralize the above components. Know and trust that If one of those things happen you can deal with it or you can find help with it. Don't suffer it before it has happened.
• Build your self-esteem . Learn to like yourself. You forgive mistakes by others, why not yourself?
• Know that you can learn whatever you need to succeed at what you are afraid of- whether they are practical skills or emotional skills, you can master them if necessary.
• Believe at your very core that this can be done. This is not just for other people. This is for you. You are just as good as the next person.

Anything that you want or are thinking of doing can be done with some thought and planning.

You can still write your life blueprint knowing that you have some baggage to overcome and skills to learn. Some baggage will be in the form of fear and you can recognize it in order to work with it. Your blueprint will be a lot more fun and hopeful when you dare to dream big.

Dr. Audrey Sherman is a psychologist, author, and coach whose expertise is in helping people overcome dysfunctional patterns and emotional baggage in order to create a life of their own design.

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Test: what are you really afraid of.

Is fear holding you back? Take our test to find out what’s keeping you stuck in your comfort zone, and what needs to change for courage to flourish

Personality Test

A friend suggests you both quit your jobs to go travelling. what worry is most likely to hold you back.

• A Not having enough time to plan it
• B Telling family, friends or your boss
• C Feeling unconfident about meeting new people
• D Whether you will regret giving up your job

You secretly admire people who:

• A Can instantly make decisions
• B Just get on with things
• C Never worry about what other people think
• D Have unlimited self-confidence

When you have an important decision to make, you tend to:

• A Overthink every possibility
• B Battle with self-doubt
• C Ask everyone for their opinion
• D Exist in a state of high anxiety

Which of these daily events triggers stress or anxiety for you?

• A Anything that involves a choice
• B Things that could draw attention to you
• C Anything that might cause disapproval from someone else
• D Anything that you don’t feel you can do well enough

You feel bravest when:

• A You’re doing something you know you’re good at
• B You’re helping someone else
• C You know you have support
• D You have no choice and have to

You would find it easier to make big changes if you:

• A Could just decide what to do first
• B Could trust it will all work out OK
• C Wouldn’t upset anyone
• D Had more confidence in yourself

When you ruminate about the past, you fret about:

• A Times you messed something up
• B Upsetting people or letting them down
• C Being awkward or looking stupid
• D Whether you’ve really made the right decisions

You’re asked to make a speech at a friend’s party. Afterwards, you’re most likely to think about whether:

• A People could tell you were nervous
• B You should have agreed to do it in the first place
• C The guests thought it was good enough
• D Your friend was happy with it

You’re most likely to do something outside of your comfort zone if:

• A It’s important for your career
• B You’d be letting people down by not doing it
• C No one knew you were doing it
• D You knew it was the right thing

Having more confidence would have the most impact on your:

• A Personal relationships
• B Social life
• C Peace of mind
• D Personal growth

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Fear of Failure — The Fear of Failure As My Biggest Failure in Life

Why My Biggest Fear is Failure

• Categories: Failure Fear Fear of Failure

About this sample

Words: 595 |

Published: Sep 1, 2020

Words: 595 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Works Cited

• Brown, B. (2010). The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are. Hazelden Publishing.
• Duckworth, A. L. (2016). Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. Scribner.
• Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of personality and social psychology, 92(6), 1087.
• Freud, S. (1930). Civilization and its Discontents. Hogarth Press.
• Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. Springer Publishing Company.
• Pintrich, P. R., & Schunk, D. H. (2002). Motivation in Education: Theory, Research, and Applications (2nd ed.). Prentice Hall.
• Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68-78.
• Seligman, M. E. (2011). Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being. Atria Books.
• Sweeny, K., & Duckworth, A. L. (2019). Failure as Fuel: A Self-Regulatory Approach. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 13(11), e12508.
• Tice, D. M., & Bratslavsky, E. (2000). Giving in to feel good: The place of emotion regulation in the context of general self-control. Psychological Inquiry, 11(3), 149-159.

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Essay on What Scares You the Most

How do you feel when suddenly the electricity goes off and there is total darkness? Have you ever felt that there is someone behind you in darkness and you run away at a greater speed from that place? It is human nature of being scared of certain things. It is difficult for many of us to express our experiences of real life in the form of an essay. We do not know how to start the essay and what to write in these types of essays based on our practical life experiences. Many of us are scared of one or the other things present in this universe.

Short and Long Essay on What Scares You the Most in English

10 lines essay on what scares you the most (100-120 words).

1) Although I’m a brave person, certain things scare me.

2) Darkness scares me the most.

3) When I’m all alone in the house, I can’t stay without lights.

4) I never go alone to the darker places.

5) I keep lights on while sleeping at night.

6) I feel suffocating when there is no light in my room.

7) In the dark it feels like someone is standing behind me.

8) I can’t see any horror movies at night.

9) In the dark, my heart beats fast and sometimes I cry.

10) I conferred my fear with my parents and now they are helping me out.

Short Essay – 300 Words

Introduction

The word scare brings the image of a person with wide-opened eyes, an open mouth, goosebumps, and fast heartbeats in our mind. It is human nature to be scared of several things or activities in this universe. We all are sacred of some or the other thing in our life and thus try to avoid seeing or experiencing the same as it inculcates fear in us.

The thought of losing our loved ones is most scary

It is the fear inside us that makes us feel scared. There are different things that can develop fear in us and later when we see the same we feel scared. We all know that birth and death are the reality of life. Everybody who is born is sure to die one day but still, it is hard to believe this. We never want that to lose our loved ones. I feel that sometimes there are some thoughts that make us feel scared. The thought of losing our family members or loved ones trembles us from inside. I had felt the fear of this thinking several times in my dreams. This is really a terrific thought that makes us feel scared and can wake us from a deep sleep.

Being scared is a hindrance in our life

It is true that it is the fear of anything that develops in us and makes us scared. We must try our best to get rid of this fear from our minds. It may happen that the fear might become a hindrance in our life. It is required that we should fight courageously with our fear and try to face it. This will slowly and gradually prevent us from getting scared.

It is good to try for getting out of our fear by facing the reason of fear bravely. It will prevent us from getting rid of this problem in our life.

I am also scared of many things in my life but I will be enlisting about the things that really scare me a lot and make me still in the form of a long essay. I think it will be helpful to the students in getting an idea about writing an essay on this topic.

Long Essay on What Scares You the Most Essay (1000 Words)

We all would have heard of brave people in the world who are not scared of anything. This cannot be true in every case. Mostly every human being is scared of some of the other things in this universe. We have seen that many people are not scared of most dangerous things but are easily scared of cockroaches or rats or ants. Isn’t it funny to hear this? But it is true.

How do We Get Scared?

A person is generally scared if he or she is in a state of fear with anything. Fear is something that arises in our mind through our imaginations. There is one or another thing that appears to us as dangerous or most scary. It is the emotions resulting from the illogical imagination of our mind. Everybody in this world is surrounded by several types of fears. These fears are connected with our daily life but there are some factors that scare us the most. It can happen that on being introduced to those things we are nervous and getting goosebumps. You might be thinking that how can a person be scared by so many things. It is all true and therefore I am sharing this experience with you all.

My Experiences of being Scared

It is not only one thing that scares me the most in my life but I am scared for certain things in my life. This fear sometimes makes me nervous or depressed but there are some things that I scare of the most. I am most scared of darkness, horror stories and movies, tales of evil souls, water, and hospitals. Among all these, I am most scared of darkness and reptiles.

• Fear from Darkness – I am very much scared of darkness (Nyctophobia). Due to this I never switch off the lights of my room while sleeping. If suppose the light is closed by someone while I am sleeping. It is the most terrible situation for me as I feel suffocation. My heartbeat is fastened as if there is something behind me or below my bed. I have been through this many times till now. I also had shouted in fear many times in the night when electricity vanishes and I wake up suddenly.
• Fear from Spirits and Horror Movies – I get goosebumps just by the horror and ghost stories. Whenever I used to see some horror movies with my friends and watch the whole movie by closing my eyes on the appearance of the evil spirits in the movies. That night I would not sleep peacefully as I felt the existence of the characters of the movies nearby my bed.
• Fear from Rivers – I am really fearful of the water bodies and their depth. The fear from water is because I think that there might be some fish, snake or insect inside the water. As soon as I will place my hand or leg in the water body I might get them on my legs and hands as well. This fear shakes me from inside and therefore I am scared of swimming or putting my hands or legs in the water body.
• Fear from Reptiles – I am most scared of reptiles. It is because of them that I Love winter as my favorite season. In this season reptiles are nowhere seen in the room or walls. I am such scared of this tiny animal that I can’t bear living in the room where it is there. I fear the thought that they can fall at any time on me and this makes me frightened. I keep the doors and windows of my room closed most of the time. During summers even after hot temperatures I never open the net windows and keep them closed tightly. Many times it had happened that I could not sleep as I am afraid of darkness as well as reptiles too. The reptiles are directed towards the light of the bulb and this creates the most unusual situation for me as I need to close the bulb for making the lizard go out of the room but at the same time, I cannot survive with no light.
• Fear from Dead Bodies – I have a great fear from the spirits and therefore I am scared of the dead bodies. Especially I fear going to the hospitals as many people die there and I may see the dead body. If I see the dead body by mistake I could not sleep the whole night as it seems that the same person is standing in front of me or is there somewhere in the room. This thought is the result of my imagination that really terrifies me and gives me goosebumps.

Is it Possible to Get Rid of the Fear that Makes us Most Scared?

The main reason for getting scared is the fear that is developed in us regarding anything. This arises in us when we imagine it. It is not very easy to overcome our fear from everything at the same time but we can try for the same. It requires the proper understanding and gaining information about the things that we fear from. A greater understanding and power to face that thing, in reality, makes us brave. It is only the right way of getting rid of our numerous fears from different things. Greater confidence and a positive attitude will slowly and gradually reduce the fear of the mind. Meditation is the best way to get out of the fear and become natural.

I hope every one of you might be scared of something in your life. The fearful thoughts about anything make us scared. We must develop some ways to put out these thoughts from our minds that make us frightened. Scariness is a great hindrance in our life as it stops us from doing things that we want to do in our life. Sometimes these fears that make us scared might lead to some mental illness or problem. We should consult doctors or take advice from our elders for getting out of this trauma.

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions

Ans . The people who get easily scared are called as ‘Coward’.

Ans . The hormone ‘Adrenaline’ and ‘Epinephrine’ is secreted when we are scared.

Ans . The best way to get rid of fear is to be optimistic and thinking in a positive way.

Ans . Arachnophobia is the term for the fear from the spiders.

Ans . Stress and anxiety are the major cause of having nightmares that can be scary or good.

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Watch CBS News

Christians in Jerusalem cautiously celebrate Easter amid Israel-Hamas war

By Holly Williams , Kerry Breen

March 30, 2024 / 10:35 AM EDT / CBS News

As the war between Israel and Hamas continues in Gaza , many Christian pilgrims have stayed away from the Holy Land this Easter, but in Jerusalem, the thousands of Christians who live in the city have begun to celebrate annual rituals amid an increasingly hostile environment. 

On Good Friday, Christian pilgrims could be seen filling the city's ancient alleyways, praying and singing as they walked the Via Dolorosa, which translates to "The Way of Suffering." Christians believe that Jesus walked this route when he carried the cross to the hill where he would be crucified. 

While many Christians who might normally participate in the pilgrimage stayed away, those who attended said they weren't afraid, despite the ongoing war. Kurt Blackwelder, a minister from North Carolina who traveled to Jerusalem despite the violence, said he wasn't "at all" frightened. 

Jerusalem is a contested city , considered a holy place by Jews, Muslims, and Christians. Both Israelis and Palestinians have claimed it as a capital. Many of the Christians in Jerusalem are Palestinian. The community has experienced a spike in assaults by ultra-Orthodox Jews, with Palestinian Christians reporting that they have been spit at. 

"It's very uncommon for people to be arrested," said Father Bernard Poggi, who is from California but has lived in Jerusalem for ten years, where he preaches to the Palestinian Christian community. 

Poggi said he fears even worse backlash.

"Our worst fear is that people won't have the right to pray," Poggi said. "Our worst fear is that people will be removed, those who want to come to this holy city to pray, as they are now, will be rejected, that they're not given permission to come."

In Gaza, Palestinian Christians are struggling to simply stay alive. Hundreds have taken shelter inside churches in the Gaza Strip, hoping for protection. At Gaza's Holy Family Church, those sheltering inside celebrated Palm Sunday, reciting the Catholic profession of faith. 

Blackwelder said that he has been spending time with a family of Palestinian Muslims during his pilgrimage, and said that he hoped there could be unity between the different groups. 

"I love them dearly. I love them all," he said, referring to his guides. "I wish we could all come together in one, one, one spirit, one belief." 

• Palestinians

Holly Williams is a CBS News senior foreign correspondent based in the network's CBS London bureau.

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'I am so scared of them now': Burned from overspending, some 'buy now, pay later' users warn others away

Many consumers find buying now and paying later a godsend when cash is tight. Others are wishing they’d paid upfront to avoid pain later.

Tia Whiteside, 27, knew she was spending more than she would have without buy now, pay later services — the popular loans that let borrowers split purchases into installments with little or no interest. Planning a day trip to the beach with her 2-year-old son last year, she spent $800 on Amazon purchases including a tent, new outfits and a high-end sandcastle kit with the BNPL provider Affirm.

Whiteside, a Greenville, South Carolina-based behavioral analyst who treats childhood autism, makes good money; she and her husband bring in about $110,000 per year combined. But the $6,000 in BNPL loans she’d racked up over roughly two years felt frivolous, she said, especially because they’re planning to buy their first home.

“I was just seeing my paycheck continually eaten up,” said Whiteside, “and I was like, ‘Where’s my money going?’”

I was just seeing my paycheck continually eaten up, and I was like, ‘Where’s my money going?’

Tia Whiteside, 27, Greenville, S.C.

The last straw was a $600 Dyson hair styler and dryer, which she’s used just once since purchasing it with Affirm at Neiman Marcus in early February. By mid-March, Whiteside said she’d deleted the Klarna and Afterpay apps from her phone — but held on to Affirm, because she still owes it money.

BNPL services have taken off among shoppers across income and credit levels for various reasons. Many are seeking cover from high credit card interest rates. Some, having burned through traditional credit options, are desperate for financial lifelines. Others are simply looking to better manage their cash flow.

The fastest uptake has been among consumers 35 and younger, who represent more than half of BNPL borrowers, LexisNexis Risk Solutions found late last year. Many are increasingly using the loans for daily essentials , not just big-ticket purchases. While some already see them as a routine tool in their wallets, others, like Whiteside, are turning away in alarm.

“I can pay on my credit cards more freely if I don’t have that other consumer debt,” Whiteside has since realized, referring to her existing $10,000 card balance. After trimming her discretionary spending and sticking to home-cooked meals, she said she’s been able to whittle down her BNPL debt to about $1,200.

As BNPL usage soars, financial experts and researchers have raised alarms about risky spending on the platforms, even though they can often be used responsibly.

“I’m sure there are people who use it well, but on average, we feel it kind of replaces the credit card,” said Ben Lourie, an accounting professor at the University of California, Irvine. “People are consuming extra. There’s just no way around it.”

Lourie and fellow researchers at UC Irvine, Stanford and Singapore Management University analyzed the bank and credit card data of nearly 11 million consumers. They found that BNPL users racked up at least $176 more per year in overdraft fees, credit card interest and late fees after starting to use the services.

While the transaction data they scrutinized, in a paper released March 21 , ranged from 2014 to 2021, Lourie said he suspects the overspending has “gotten worse.” But that may be difficult to gauge, in part because BNPL loans aren’t uniformly reported to major credit agencies , creating “phantom debt” that lenders aren’t always able to see.

Some borrowers have been warning others on social media against buying now and paying later, with a few criticizing the services’ advertising practices.

People are consuming extra. There’s just no way around it.

Ben Lourie, professor at University of California, Irvine

“I’ve got like 10 PayPal pay in 4 plans left (thankfully those are almost done) $500 in affirm plans, and $2k on credit cards,” one Reddit user wrote last year. “I just tried to get my parents off my student loans and was told I can’t due to my rotating debt to income ratio.”

“I finally paid my Afterpay bill, and they immediately emailed me to purchase shoes on an installment plan,” a poster on X said in February. “What part of I’m poor do they not understand?”

The services have drawn attention from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which found last year that most BNPL users had higher credit card utilization rates and lower credit scores than non-BNPL borrowers. Many appeared to be leaning on the installment loans while also shouldering high rates on revolving credit card balances, the agency said.

That report also found Black consumers were 65% more likely to borrow on BNPL than the general population, followed by Hispanic consumers (47%) and female consumers (35%).

After about three or four years of using BNPL services for designer clothes, handbags and Apple devices, Amy Baird, 39, was staring down more than $9,000 in debt.

“It caught up to me,” said Baird, who lives in Dallas and works as a claims clerk for an insurance company. “I had put myself in a pretty big hole,” she said, adding that she found support in a subreddit focused on shopping addiction.

Her boyfriend helped her secure a low-interest balance transfer card, making it easier to tackle the loans one provider at a time, she said. After paying off her other three major BNPL lenders, Baird said, her Affirm balance of about $1,200 is all that’s left.

Financial planners often advise compulsive shoppers to take a beat after putting something in their online carts — to consider payment strategies or wait a day and come back. But BNPL platforms can make it hard to press pause, some borrowers and financial experts said.

Whiteside recalled getting smartphone notifications from her Affirm app shortly after paying off a loan, telling her, “‘You’ve got this much pre-approved to spend,’ and that just feels kind of icky,” she said.

Many consumer lending products, including traditional credit cards, regularly dangle promotions to attract and maintain borrowers. But Kevin Mahoney, a Washington, D.C.-based financial planner, said BNPL services are set up in ways that can feed habits his clients are working to break.

“You don’t really have to do anything other than click ‘purchase,’” he said.

That frictionlessness can be especially tempting “on days when people are tired or stressed and you just have less willpower,” said Mahoney, who works mainly with millennial consumers. Many younger borrowers — especially those with big, new financial obligations like student loans — find the extent of their overspending sneaks up on them suddenly, he said.

Affirm didn’t comment on its advertising but said it underwrites every lending decision to help ensure users aren’t overextended.

“You see exactly the total cost upfront before you decide whether or not to transact, and it doesn’t perpetuate these debt cycles with compounding interest or profiting from junk fees and complicated math,” a spokesperson said.

Afterpay pointed to features designed to “safeguard” consumers, including the ability to lower their spending limits and customize notifications. PayPal said it emphasized “payment flexibility and choice” at checkout and factored borrowers’ repayment histories into its lending decisions. Klarna said it had responsible spending limits for its users, whose average outstanding balance is $150, compared to the more than $6,000 for credit card users.

Some lawmakers have called for more scrutiny of BNPL services.

Last fall, Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who heads the Senate banking committee, joined Sens. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and John Fetterman, D-Pa., in a letter urging the CFPB to ensure BNPL providers didn’t “take advantage of struggling consumers” ahead of the holiday season.

“Aggressive advertising encourages consumers to use these plans for multiple purchases, at multiple online stores — racking up debt they cannot afford to repay,” Brown said in a statement to NBC News.

Baird, for her part, acknowledged BNPL services can make inflation and high interest rates feel “easier” for those who can keep their shopping impulses under control. But she’s sworn them off for good and encourages others to proceed with caution.

“I am so scared of them now,” she said. “I don’t need that in my life.”

J.J. McCorvey is a business and economy reporter for NBC News.