12 Comments
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Corinna Luyken's avatar

This is beautiful.

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Michael DeNicola's avatar

As a recent graduate, this hit exactly where I've been living the last few months.

Not having a group of people to bonk me on the head when my doubts take over, and also coping with being a new writer in this industry, has been hard.

I like the idea of examining my fears as a way of pushing forward. I'm still learning ways of compartmentalizing them and pushing forward, but it's a process.

I think it's harder because I'm still lacking that physical success I can point at, but I'm working on it.

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tamara christina's avatar

Wow. This helps me immensely, thank you. I respect writing all the more, understanding each story, sentence, word I choose "do not care about none of that shit". This mantra puts fear in a sleeper hold. Thank you 🙏🏽

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Matt Cyr's avatar

Badass here. Thanks for sharing this. Your audio is on point too! 👊

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C. N. Reed's avatar

This is so solid, absolutely going on my recommended reading list (required reading if I ever teach again).

Everyone who approaches that blank page has a sense of fear. I think you hit it on the head of how fear controls the writer. When we produce one thing that does well, we now have this expectation that we must be better on the next run. We need to give ourselves permission that we can only do the best that we can at the moment, like you say, we need to take it “one thing at a time.”

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C. A. Ballinger's avatar

I really needed this. Thank you!

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Daniel José Older's avatar

This is so real and so relatable. Thank you

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Swathi Desai's avatar

I desperately needed to hear this, Nana. Thank you. One thing at a time.

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Kalinda M Vazquez's avatar

This is an amazing post and really resonated with me. Thank you for sharing this part of your process.

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Paired Up Stories's avatar

This found me at just the right time. Thank you.

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Verena Wilkening's avatar

That was immensely beautiful. Thank you.

My father died when he was six years older than I am now, and the fear of not having enough time is a constant companion. Of time running through my hands. Time is a wise teacher, and sometimes a bully.

I can deeply relate to your fears, and the weight they carry.

Breathing, acting through fear is terrifying.

I felt touched and held by your words.

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Dr. Mercedes Samudio's avatar

This is a breath of fresh air on my creative writing journey! Asè.

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