What are you afraid of? There’s no right or wrong answer to this, and you don’t have to tell me. I just want to get thinking about fear for a moment.

Public speaking is often touted as one of humanity’s greatest fears. I can understand this. Getting up in front of a room and talking while a bunch of people stare at me isn’t high on my list of things to do. But there’s another fear that feels even more scary, that grips me where I live.

That’s the fear of being alone.

I’m an only child, and I’ve grown into an adult who appreciates her alone-time. I’ll think nothing of curling up with a book for a Saturday afternoon, blissfully ignoring everyone else in my house. Those hours can be truly beautiful, but if I did that all the time, it wouldn’t be fun. It would be terrifying.

Perhaps you disagree about the fear of being alone, and that’s okay. Everyone’s got their thing. Being alone is one thing, but creating alone is another. Tackling a huge project by yourself can feel daunting. It can stop you with the fear that you’ll never finish. It can kill dreams before they have a chance to live.

Ultimately, writing is mainly a solo activity. Even if you’re coauthoring, odds are good it’s not all done as a group activity. When you’re plugging away at your novel, it can feel like the world is missing in action. When it’s just you and your notebook/computer screen for hours on end, the dark can start to press in, cutting off your connection to the light.

Writing can be dark and scary, but it doesn’t have to be.

You aren’t alone. That’s important, so I’ll say it again. You aren’t alone. Even if they aren’t in the room with you, there’s an entire community of like-minded creatives out there. Some may be feeling just as alone as you, and those are the people to find. Be each other’s lights in the dark.

Be a Writelight.

If you’re struggling to find that community or just want a little light in your inbox once a month, I invite you to join Writelight, my newsletter that’s a light in the writing dark. It’s more than just an email. It’s your link to other creatives. It’s your place to realize you aren’t in this alone. It’s a little of my experience and a lot of support in the form of…

  • something I’ve recently learned about writing or editing
  • something I’m excited about
  • a link or two for more help finding your writing light
  • encouragement when you might need it most

It only takes a little light to start bringing out your story’s glory. Join the Writelight community, and let me be your light in the writing dark. As a thank-you for joining the Writelight community, you’ll receive a copy of Dark2Spark: Everything You Need for Blank Sheet to Draft Complete–a booklet that’s a few of my blog posts, some exclusive stuff, and all about helping you make that writing dream a reality.

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