tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post659474487411550753..comments2023-12-09T00:33:24.572-08:00Comments on Novel Matters: Writer's FearBonnie Grovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11377519561074174038noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-32963489070291963992013-05-06T08:30:47.577-07:002013-05-06T08:30:47.577-07:00Cherry: "Normal" is relative, eh? ;)
H...Cherry: "Normal" is relative, eh? ;) <br /><br />Henrietta: No need to fear my teeth. Well. Maybe a little.<br /><br />Karen: Thanks!<br /><br />Josey: You're so welcome!Bonnie Grovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11377519561074174038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-45449385199298645372013-05-05T16:57:07.963-07:002013-05-05T16:57:07.963-07:00All I can say is.......thank you.All I can say is.......thank you.Josey Bozzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01726048506211545721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-23761691627552005572013-05-03T16:59:31.792-07:002013-05-03T16:59:31.792-07:00Brilliant, Bonnie!Brilliant, Bonnie!Karen @ a house full of sunshinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17787916466155321686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-44760801290163887772013-05-03T11:40:36.915-07:002013-05-03T11:40:36.915-07:00Loved the videos! I want to share them widely. T...Loved the videos! I want to share them widely. Thanks for talking about fear so accurately and passionately...doesn't feel like teeth at all.... (who else here is afraid of Bonnie's teeth?)Henrietta Frankenseenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-11083497432899043482013-05-03T10:17:09.628-07:002013-05-03T10:17:09.628-07:00Bonnie, thank you for articulating - for reminding...Bonnie, thank you for articulating - for reminding me that I am normal (as artists and writers go).<br />Megan is right, "I've given up dreaming before. It's not pretty, and I don't want to do it again, and that only leaves one alternative: get up and do it." Cherry Odelberghttp://cherryodelberg.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-16620003197625531612013-05-03T10:02:54.076-07:002013-05-03T10:02:54.076-07:00Sharon: Mwah!
Jennifer: Just give yourself time t...Sharon: Mwah!<br /><br />Jennifer: Just give yourself time to write through the fear. Be certain of the terrible first draft, and keep going!Bonnie Grovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11377519561074174038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-24192238281027681362013-05-03T09:27:01.328-07:002013-05-03T09:27:01.328-07:00Holy frijoles!! This is epic! I bookmarked this ba...Holy frijoles!! This is epic! I bookmarked this baby! I re-wrote, edited, tweaked, shook up and fixed Book One. Last week I was looking at Book Two and thinking...<br />Did you hear the crickets?<br />Yeah, me too.<br />I prayed and waited. And then out of the blue. BAM! Book Two told itself to me in my head.<br />And the best part? I'm even more terrified of messing up!!Jennifer Majorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12696261499182486196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-34083381687846148212013-05-03T09:00:20.393-07:002013-05-03T09:00:20.393-07:00Oh, Bonnie, this is classic! Mwah!
Oh, Bonnie, this is classic! Mwah!<br />Sharon K. Souzahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02526862677417370076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-27632203529241595082013-05-03T08:17:59.691-07:002013-05-03T08:17:59.691-07:00Susie: And, like pregnancy, once it takes root, it...Susie: And, like pregnancy, once it takes root, it must be seen through to the end. As you're working on your second, remember the journey is about discovering who you are as a writer. Lead yourself gently.<br /><br />Patti: Mwah!<br /><br />Camille: Fear is normal, yes, but it's too often the excuse we use to not follow through. Writing is a narrow path and giving our lives to it utterly means saying no to anything else that would distract us. That's a big first step that you've already taken. Keep going!Bonnie Grovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11377519561074174038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-37865361107529440432013-05-03T08:14:38.809-07:002013-05-03T08:14:38.809-07:00Megan: It's true, there's no way around fe...Megan: It's true, there's no way around fear, it must be trod through. My experience has shown me that when I face my fear, it's much smaller than it appeared in my peripheral. <br /><br />Dina: Congratulations on book four! And yes to the good partners--I would be hooped without my group of writers. <br /><br />Ariel: I did the exact thing! Awesome! (Everyone, Ariel is one of the people who sets me straight when I'm writing on too steep a curve. She's amazing, smart, and sleep deprived. Her latest novel The Wife, The Maid, and the Mistress hits shelves in February. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17618286-the-wife-the-maid-and-the-mistress)Bonnie Grovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11377519561074174038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-37887256954186558182013-05-03T07:21:36.903-07:002013-05-03T07:21:36.903-07:00Thank you. Especially for sharing Margaret Atwood&...Thank you. Especially for sharing Margaret Atwood's handy reference chart listing writers' fears. I was only aware of a couple of them. Now I have more fears to add to my list.<br /><br />Actually, I am comforted (in a demented way) by knowing my self-doubt and tremors are perfectly normal when I'm among other word-artists. Now, when I hear "WHAT made you think you could write? Quit now while you still can still fake an outer resemblance of sanity", it's followed up a lot sooner now with "HOW can you quit? This is all you want to do and you've poured so much time and sweat and passion into what you've been doing. Think of the kids! The ones you sent away to eat goldfish and licorice sticks for dinner so many times they've formed special relationships with all your neighbors. Think of all the sacrifices you AND others have made so you can pursue this. Quit? Not on your life."Camille Eidehttp://www.camilleeide.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-24367015687459615782013-05-03T07:00:06.485-07:002013-05-03T07:00:06.485-07:00Well, Bonnie, you certainly hit the nail on the he...Well, Bonnie, you certainly hit the nail on the head. Thanks for bringing the topic of fear to the bone. Love you for that.Patti Hillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01210807015376289703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-30928085488054200862013-05-03T06:12:01.525-07:002013-05-03T06:12:01.525-07:00Yes and thank you. I'm glad that, like pregnan...Yes and thank you. I'm glad that, like pregnancy, the nausea is a sign that things are coming along the right way. This novel has me absolutely terrified. It is so different from Paint Chips, I fear, well, everything about the writing. <br /><br />Thank you for this post. I feel inspired! Still a little afraid. But inspired still.Susie Finkbeinerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02134090068018561836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-1211475163382625022013-05-03T06:07:08.372-07:002013-05-03T06:07:08.372-07:00So amazingly, painfully true. Through the first dr...So amazingly, painfully true. Through the first draft of my most recent manuscript I wrote the following on a sticky note and stuck it next to my computer screen: "Just write the damn book."<br /><br />Sometimes you have to give yourself a single command. One instruction to follow. And stubbornly follow it to the end.Ariel Lawhonhttp://www.ariellawhon.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-51059117317602728912013-05-03T05:28:04.251-07:002013-05-03T05:28:04.251-07:00Bonnie wrote, "Now we’re really afraid. Write...Bonnie wrote, "Now we’re really afraid. Writer’s block is our new best friend. We squeeze the words out as if from an empty toothpaste tube. We’re so close to the story that every word we write looks wrong."<br /><br />That's exactly where I am. This is actually my fourth book, but the way my career has turned out, this is the first one I've written since the self-doubt hit. I wrote #2 before being published and #3 before the reality of being published set it. #4 is the first one I'm writing under the pressure and deadlines.<br /><br />I know well that empty toothpaste feeling, although I think I actually told someone I feel like I'm having to squeeze out blood from my veins for every word. LOL.<br /><br />Thanks for the encouragement, Bonnie. I will also say good critique partners help when you can't see straight anymore.Dina Sleimanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05214446103057806111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-63198844692778036672013-05-03T03:20:15.586-07:002013-05-03T03:20:15.586-07:00Well said, Bonnie! Bravo!
I've realised yet a...Well said, Bonnie! Bravo!<br /><br />I've realised yet again recently that fear and doubt are luxuries that I just can't afford. I only have one life, and one day it'll end. I can either choose to push through and face the things that are scaring me and reach for my dreams, or I can give up dreaming and wait on the sidelines of life to die. <br />I've given up dreaming before. It's not pretty, and I don't want to do it again, and that only leaves one alternative: get up and do it. <br />Yes, quite often I think I must be crazy. Especially at the moment. But when it feels like I'm standing on the crumbling edge of a deep abyss looking at the land on the other side the best I can do is shut my eyes and jump.Megan Sayerhttp://www.megansayer.comnoreply@blogger.com