Write it afraid
“What would you write if you weren’t afraid?”
I remember the first time I read this question in Mary Karr’s book, The Art of Memoir, and I knew the answer immediately. I was suppose to write about my life, about trauma, about hurting, and ultimately about healing. Knowing that answer didn’t bring immediate action though, instead it brought avoidance. We can know in our core what we are made to do, write, create, speak, and so on, but putting movement behind that idea is the real work.
I can always tell I am onto something important when I am avoidant as hell. My old anxious attachment style kicks in and I begin playing hide-n-seek again–behind busyness, brainstorming, new projects, anything really, to keep me from showing up that glaring blank page. For example, before I showed up to the page today, I created a new website, edited a client’s manuscript, created social media content, I even wrote writing prompts about writing, but NOT actually writing. When resistance shows up in all of its avoidance, we can know we are being called to write the thing w’ere most afraid of.
The resistance is here to teach us, working like an alarm, signaling us back to our truth. Sometimes that resistance is loud, but more often it is a subtle beeping reminding us to return back to the very thing that scares us. If you are feeling unclear about what to write, uncertain in your voice, and trembling at the very thought of putting pen to page– congratulations! You are one step closer to breaking through the resistance, the past, and awakening the transformation within you.
So returning to this question, what would you write if you weren’t afraid? What would you create if you weren’t afraid? Who would you be if you weren’t afraid? Feel all the feelings that arise with these questions and let the answers brilliant pour from your pen. The answer is within you, you need only to listen.
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR SUPPORT IN WRITING YOUR BOOK, THEN CHECK OUT MY 1:1 BOOK COACHING WHERE WE WILL WORK TOGETHER TO TAKE YOU FROM BOOK IDEA TO COMPLETE DRAFT WITH GUIDANCE IN DEVELOPING AN OUTLINE, A WRITING SCHEDULE, FEEDBACK ON YOUR WRITING, AND A FULL DEVELOPMENTAL EDIT AT THE END OF OUR TIME TOGETHER.
Megan Febuary is an author, trauma-informed book coach and creative mentor. Helping women write their books, heal their stories, and understand their unique human design. You can learn more about working with Megan at meganfebuary.com
