Do you suffer from page fright?
Guest Blog by Mary E. Knippel
Do you have page fright? What do I mean by that? Well, it means you are afraid of putting anything on the page. And that’s really a shame because I know there is someone who needs to hear your story. That’s right, I’m absolutely sure there is someone out there who is waiting to hear from you.
How do I know this?
I know this because I’ve been where you are. I know that little voice whispering those critical little quips: Who wants to hear from you? Your story isn’t unique. Who do you think you are acting like some expert?
Sound familiar? Yeah, I thought so.
Let’s tame that page fright with a few simple steps to make putting anything on the page seem like a regular everyday activity. Perhaps, and I’m not putting a date on this, you will come to look forward to opportunities to put things on the page. And you may even use the term “writing” in the future. For the time being, I won’t go to that extreme and say anything like that. Secretly, I’m relishing the fact that you are taking those baby steps to realize you are a writer. Oh, I’m getting ahead of myself in my excitement of coaxing you past your page fright.
Three big questions I often hear when it comes to page fright are these:
Where do I start?
What do I say?
Who would care about what I have to say?
These simple steps address page fright and the above questions:
Create an environment where you feel safe, comfortable, and inspired. You may choose a cozy chair, prop yourself up in bed, or somewhere that brings you joy (your garden, at the beach, a park, or a coffee shop).
Decide how long you want this activity to last and set a timer. I suggest you start out with 5-minutes and work up to longer sessions.
Use paper and pen for this activity. Record the date, time, and description of your environment to anchor yourself in the present moment.
Do not type on your phone, iPad, Remarkable, or laptop. I am taking “page fright” literally. I realize that you can “write” on electronic devices, and the blinking cursor on a blank screen can be as intimidating as an actual blank piece of paper. I find that creativity happens more easily when the hand is physically moving across the page grasping a pen. It’s a fact that you function from a different part of your brain when you are typing than when you are engaged in the act of writing. I believe there is a direct connection between your heart and your hand when you are writing. In fact, I’m of the opinion that we receive downloads when we are writing longhand that we don’t receive when we are typing.
Now, as to those questions:
Where do I start? You create a writing routine by following these steps. It’s the same way you would with anything you want to accomplish, such as an exercise routine.
What do I say? Think about what you read and why you read. Share inspiration, information, encouragement, and hope. All of your life experiences have brought you to who you are and what you do today. I promise you there are others out there grappling with what you have already overcome. They would benefit from your sharing how you coped and earned from your experiences.
Who would care about what I have to say? Everything you have gone through has prepared you to be a leader. First, a leader of yourself and then a leader of those struggling with what you have already experienced. Talk about your life lessons and the wisdom you’ve gained. Your personal story is intimately connected with the universal story. Here’s what I mean: One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. That’s a fact, a recognized statistic. When I share that I’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer twice. I’m no longer a statistic or a random number. I’m a flesh and blood woman who has experienced the dreaded “C” and lived to go on to use the wisdom gained from my cancer experience. I call it an unexpected gift. A gift because it brought clarity about what is important in my life. It brought an absolute knowing that I’m designed to use my writing as a powerful healing tool for myself and for others. I believe writing can help you access your gifts. I use my talent for writing to encourage anyone who will listen to me to tap into their creativity and access their gifts.
Bonus writing prompts: What do I say?
What does my heart want me to know today?
What happened in my life that caused a change to put me on the path of who I am today? (subtle or dramatic: loss of job, catastrophic illness, death of loved one, divorce, major move)
Where am I holding back in being the best me I can be?
There’s my take on overcoming page fright. The solution is to develop a writing practice, and it will become a habit to sit down and write. Yes, there will still be times when the writing does not flow as quickly as we’d like. That’s when your routine of a writing practice and the writing prompts prove to be an enormous help.
If it sounds like I’m encouraging you to journal – I am! This is you having a conversation on paper with yourself. It’s a great way to get your ideas out of your head and onto the page. It’s also how you start writing and keep writing!
It’s time to create the environment, gather your tools, and invite the words to come.
If you’d like support with your writing, schedule a time to chat with me today.
Mary E. Knippel