Writing Through Fear With Caroline Donahue

What are some of the common fears that writers face? How can we work through them in order to create more freely? Caroline Donahue gives her tips in this interview.
In the intro, How to avoid indie author scams [ALLi (selfpublishingadvice.org/how-...) ; Writer Beware (writerbeware.blog/) ]; Financial strategies and mindset [Self Publishing Advice (selfpublishingadvice.org/podc...) ]; Apple Intelligence at WWDC [The Verge (www.theverge.com/24171190/app...) ; Marketing against the Grain]; “Not a chef, but an emotion creator.” Massimo Bottura on the Possible Podcast (www.possible.fm/podcasts/mass...) .
Plus, Spear of Destiny is on its last day (www.jfpenn.com/destiny) ; Thoughts on photography permissions for commercial use - and permission in general (www.thecreativepenn.com/2013/...) ; Voodoo Vintners (amzn.to/45neiBa) ; Winchester pictures ( / c8cyrmeit_x ) ; Limeburn Hill vineyard pictures ( / c7ufqdcoxxw ) .
This podcast is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life , which helps authors self-publish and reach readers in global markets through the Kobo eco-system. You can also subscribe to the Kobo Writing Life podcast (kobowritinglife.com/category/k...) for interviews with successful indie authors. www.kobo.com/writinglife
This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn ( / thecreativepenn )
Caroline Donahue is an author, podcaster, and book coach. Her latest book is Writing Through Fear: A Story Arcana Guide.
• The most common fears writers face
• How the fear of not being considered a “real writer” holds you back
• Overcoming the fear of judgement and being cancelled
• Fearing things before you are anywhere near them in the process
• Breaking down projects into smaller, more manageable tasks
• Embracing the unpredictable nature of creativity
• The challenges and reasons for rebranding a book
• Substack as a podcasting platform and community tool
You can find Caroline at CarolineDonahue.com (www.carolinedonahue.com/) , her Substack at book-alchemy.com (www.book-alchemy.com/) , and her podcast at SecretLibraryPodcast.com (www.secretlibrarypodcast.com/)
You can find the transcript and show notes in the podcast backlist: www.thecreativepenn.com/podca...
Buy writing books directly from me: www.CreativePennBooks.com
Buy my fiction and memoir at www.JFPennBooks.com
Join my community at / thecreativepenn

[@AngelikaDV]

Thank you, Joanna and Caroline, for shedding some light on the fears of writing (and providing tips for overcoming them), however you still took it to the usual place - that most writers fear being creatively inadequate, that they will "do it wrong" and be judged for it, and that that is the core of all our fears. I beg to differ! After years of listening to shows like this, no one ever talks about fears related to financial problems, survival, family, health, and other daily stresses that some of us just NEED to prioritize over writing - in other words, fears unrelated to self-esteem issues. As a pro writer for the past 15 years, I do not fear being inadequate when it comes to writing. It's what I do best. I also used to consult authors on indie publishing and marketing, so I do not fear that either. And I also honestly don't care about being judged! My only fear is that I will STARVE by spending time finishing my novel as opposed to allocating that time to doing something actually fruitful, like a side hustle that will boost my currently INADEQUATE salary (hence, a fear related to survival)! And since I already write for my day job, I'm often too tired to write novels at the end of the day and I deal with unbearable neck and shoulder pains, too - which proves to be yet another reason completely unrelated to "getting it wrong" or "being judged" (rather, it's a fear related to survival yet again, splashed with some health anxiety - Will my body be able to handle more writing?). What can I say, maybe I am the exception to the rule? Maybe most writers have an easygoing life with only very few responsibilities, more than adequate income, no health concerns, and plenty of free time, with their only real problems and fears being related to their self-esteem? Sorry for the lengthy comment, just wanted to respectfully share my thoughts (and fears!) to showcase that this view/conclusion on perceived inadequacy as a core fear doesn't apply to all writers. P.S: Thanks for the Kickstarter tips, that might actually be worth setting up!

[@thecreativepenn]

Thanks for the comment, Angelika and I absolutely respect your opinion. But most authors do not write full-time and have other jobs, so the fear is not about money as it relates to books as that is handled elsewhere. For most writers, it's a hobby or a side hustle. But I understand what you mean, and I certainly consider money as this is my fulltime living, although I have multiple streams of income, like the podcast and patreon etc as I find book sales to be too erratic to be my only income.

[@RuthAnnNordin]

@@thecreativepenn Hi Joanna! I've been making a living with just my books since 2012, and I actually have this fear. Income fluctuates like crazy. At one time, I made $200K a year. I don't make that anymore. My income has steadily dropped over the years. I'm still making a living wage. Last year, I brought in $46K. (This has been the lowest it's been since 2011 when I made $18K.) While I do attribute that to not marketing very well and taking time off from writing due to burnout, I am now worried I won't be able to get my income back up. The fear of survival has started to kick in. I don't know if inflation is crazy where you are, but in the US, it's been awful. Groceries and gas are at least double what they once were, for example. That only compounds my fears. I will be attending the Inkers Con online conference next month to sharpen my skills to help me compete. I will also be taking a six-month course on being a virtual assistant in case I need a side hustle. So I am trying to improve my situation. But anyway, if you can find someone to interview to speak on writing and publishing through the "fear of survival" mindset, that would be wonderful. If you can't find someone to do it, I understand. I don't think most authors struggle with this fear. I do believe people like me and Angelika are in the minority. That all being said, I still love your show!

[@d.owenpowell9023]

" Skip navigation Search Avatar image 0:04 / 1:11:34 "Writing Through Fear." What a luxury that most will not have. To write out of fear that one's publisher has given a deadline to finish the first draft and she is running late. Publisher, and agent. One of the hurdles most won't make on his/her journey to a published story.

[@123gp1833]

I don't like asking permission. Can you use drawing like in ink or pen.

[@thecreativepenn]

I haven't researched drawing - but I don't do that - I do photos :)

[@123gp1833]

@@thecreativepenn cool. There are artists who do that kind of line drawings.

[@tomaria100]

Loved this! You are so helpful! But I'm disappointed that as a Christian author and entrepreneur you promoted the work of someone who uses Tarot (divination).

[@thecreativepenn]

I respect your personal views, but of course, many people find Tarot useful as a creativity tool, not for telling the future.

[@tomaria100]

Thank you for letting my comment stand!