Sonja Foust, Romance Author

You’re ready to go. You’re going to write that great novel that’s been rattling around in your head for years. You have a desk, you have a typing device, you have your coffee, you got yourself some fingerless gloves that make you feel all Starving Artist Chic…

And then you sit and stare at that blinking cursor, and think of all the reasons you really can’t write that novel just now… Someone else already wrote something similar. People might get offended. You just remembered that pile of laundry that really has to be done right this instant. It might sound dumb when you get it out of your head and onto the page.

You’ve got (dun dun DUN!) Page Fright.

So, here are my quick and easy (well, quick anyway) tips for getting over Page Fright:

1. Give yourself permission to write crap. I think this is the best tip I’ve ever gotten. If you’re allowed to write crap, it means you’re allowed to write anything, without putting the pressure of being a Great Author on yourself. Just write what you want, and worry about whether or not it’s crap later. (Some of it undoubtedly will be crap, but you may be surprised at what is and what isn’t.)



Cover via Amazon

2. Don’t think about the whole novel. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott has a nice essay that talks about this. Once you’re ready to sit down and write, you have to take it one “bird” at a time. Think about this Act, or this chapter, or this scene. If you think about the whole novel every time you sit down to write, you’re going to overwhelm yourself and head for the nearest pile of dirty laundry.
3. Remember: It’s all been done. There is nothing new under the sun. Blah, blah, blah. You’ve heard this little pearl of wisdom before, haven’t you? Well, it’s true. There are a limited number of big story ideas (and pearls of wisdom, come to that)  in the world, and they’ve pretty much all been told. So don’t worry if your plot sounds similar to someone else’s. The thing that makes stories great is how they’re told.
4. Pretend no one is ever going to read it but you. If you’re aiming to sell your book, this is obviously not going to be the case, but sometimes it helps to imagine while writing. That way you don’t have to censor yourself in case your grandma ever gets ahold of a copy. Plus, you can always tone it down later if you need to.
5. Just do it! Quit your whining and write. It’s not going to kill you.

Have you ever had Page Fright? How did you get over it? Tell me in the comments!

(You like that post title? Ever notice how my titles are never that clever? Yeah, that’s because my awesome copywriting friend Veemoe gave that one to me. Thanks, Vee!)

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