Over the years, I've heard all sorts of writing excuses (and many of these are my own excuses, too). Things like:

• "I don't have any energy left to write at the end of the day."
• "Once the kids are a bit older, I'll be able to get back into writing."
• "I can't write when there are other people in the house."
• "My husband [wife / child / cat] keeps interrupting when I'm writing."
• "I can't focus while the house is untidy."
• "Today's just too busy. I'll write tomorrow."

There's some truth in all of these, of course. It is hard to find the energy to write, children and family members can be a huge distraction, and there are always tasks to do that feel more urgent and pressing than writing.

But – sometimes, at least – these are ultimately excuses to avoid writing.

A few years ago, an Aliventures reader told me, "I make a lot of excuses because I think I'm just afraid."

And I think there's so much truth in that. Writing can be so daunting, in so many ways, and it's often very tempting to come up with an excuse not to write.

Even when you enjoy writing, it's often easier not to. After all, if you do make the time to sit down and write, you might have to face up to some things you'd rather not think about.

I'm sure that there are all sorts of writing fears out there, but I think a lot boil down to one of these:

What if my writing isn't good enough?

What if I put all this hard work in and it doesn't result in anything?

What if I can't do justice to this idea?

These are big, real fears, and they can be difficult to cope with or even acknowledge. 

Ultimately, though, it's up to you to decide whether those fears get the better of you – or whether you write regardless.

Here are a few things that might help you face those fears.

What if my writing isn't good enough?

All writers worry about this to some degree (including well-established writers). But the truth is, that even if your writing isn't very good, the only way you'll get better is by writing. Take a look at What if You're Just Not Good Enough to Be a Successful Writer for more help on overcoming this fear.

What if I put all this hard work in and it doesn't result in anything?

You might write a story that never gets published. You might finish a whole book that never sees the light of day. But all the work you put in still isn't wasted. Every word you write is valuable experience: you'll learn more about writing itself, plus you'll learn how best to fit writing into your life.

What if I can't do justice to this idea?

So many writers put off starting because they've got an idea they love ... and they're worried that they won't be able to write about it well enough. The thing is, however perfect your idea is, no-one can read an idea. Before anyone else can benefit from it, you need to turn it into a (inevitably imperfect) story or article or book.

I know how tough these fears can be. But if you can make a commitment to writing, perhaps for 10 minutes a day or an hour a week, then you'll find that they start to become less important than the reality of what you're achieving.

Start writing and keep writing ... and you'll be able to look back in a year's time to see how far you've come.

Happy writing,

Ali

P.S. Here's last week's Aliventures blog post, in case you missed it:

Internal and External Conflict: Why Your Story Needs Both (and How to Do Them Well)

I'm going to be writing more about conflict over the next few weeks, so if you've got a question related to that, do hit "reply" and let me know. I'll make sure I cover it in my posts or in the newsletter.