Over the past six or so years of providing plot consultations to writers, I have rarely had a cancelation. When one happens, the occurrence tends to give me pause. When it happens twice, I can't help but speculate why. Always, my imagination settles on one degree or another of writer's fear.
Years ago, I heard Maya Angelou say that a character trait most important in life is courage.
This is so true for both the protagonist of a story and for the writer, too. Having worked with writers of all genres and all ages, I appreciate and honor how much courage and fortitude it takes to continue to keep at it, to keep showing up, to pick yourself and your characters off the ground over and over again, dust yourselves off, and start again, to keep believing in yourself and your story and the transformative nature of creating something out of nothing.
Here's hoping the writer in question remembers there is nothing to fear in life but fear itself... Naw, that sounds too trite. How about this? I'm not that scary. The process is intense but truly is nothing to fear.
Like your protagonist, face your greatest antagonist and you, too, become the star of your own life.
3 Comments on Writer's Courage, last added: 6/19/2010
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Excellent post. Courage is very much underrated and we need it every step of the writing journey. Thanks so much!
Nice!
sigh...