1.2 ThE Six fEArS yOU (COUlD) fACE WriTiNg yOUr BOOk “Your inward conflicts express themselves in outward disasters.” —kriShnaMurti Now that you’re going to become an author, you’ll have to deal with all the fears and anxieties that come with writing. You’re not alone. All authors start where you are right now. We start insecure, unsure, and afraid. We start with fear, and sometimes even terror, gripping us. And sadly, for some authors, these fears stop them from ever writ- ing their book at all. I’ve been writing professionally for fifteen years, and the fears I’m about to detail are the same ones I’ve had to deal with in the past (and still deal with on a day-to-day basis). This chapter will detail the common author fears, explain how they are destructive to books, and provide insight into how you ThE Six fEArS yOU (COUlD) fACE WriTiNg yOUr BOOk · 25