Conquering Three Words

What do you think the three words below have to do with one another?

      Procrastination                                      Rejection                            Self-confidence

They are all part of a discussion going on in a group called Aspiring Writers which is sponsored by Linked In. Writers send in questions and others respond with their answers or thoughts on the topic. Recently, one of the writers said that she wonders why she can sit down and write stories or articles with no problem but procrastination sets in if she must send out a query or synopsis. She wondered if it was fear of rejection or some other problem.

Her question drew a good many responses. One man noted that fear of rejection of our writing is just as much a fear of others not liking me or what I do.

I responded that fear of rejection can also be a lack of self-confidence. Another writer agreed with that assessment. There were a few others that showed a great lack of sympathy. One advised that the best way to deal with fear is to rip off its mask and face it. I also suggested that she google 'query letters' and 'writing a synopsis' and read all she can about each one.To have a clear understanding of something helps us to deal with it more easily.

We all procrastinate at times. I find that I usually use that tactic when I either dislike the project, don't understand it, or lack confidence in doing it. Writers all have a fear of rejection to one degree or another. Some have it only on a rare occasion while others wallow in a tub of it with every submission they make. The important thing is that they are making those submissions. It's those who do not submit because of that fear factor that concern me. What about that self-confidence angle? The better we understand a subject, the more confident we are in dealing with it. If you're unsure of some part of the writing world, do all you can to educate yourself on that topic.

All of the above brings me to today's poster quote. If you're going to conquer that procrastination, fear of rejection and self-confidence problem, you must be the realist who adjusts the sail. It won't happen overnight but it's worth working on a little at a time. An attitude adjustment is a good place to begin.