I Write

Fear is the biggest anchor of both the individual and humanity as a whole...

Not healthy fear, like being eaten by a lion or fear of falling from a great height...

But fear of rejection, hurt feelings and dented ego...

These are things that are ironically feared more than those things that pose a true existential danger.

Rejection, Hurt feelings and dented ego are not fatal even though we fear them as we fear death and nonexistence...

To the contrary, when dealt with in a healthy manner, without crippling fear these can be turned into sources of power and inspiration.

Be you and do so unapologetically. Own yourself, not disown yourself.

Make yourself master of your being... Not a slave to being someone else...

I hope you will not mind some writing advice.

Just create a schedule and write the novel.

Give yourself permission to write badly. Make your main purpose to finish it, not to be perfect and brilliant.

Focus on your reader instead of your feelings of self-doubt. That is the dividing line between amateur and professional writing; amateurs write to express their feelings while professionals write for the reader.

Work in short sessions. If you were to write just one page a day, you'd probably complete your rough draft novel in a year or less.

Don't write until you are burned out. Quit while you're ahead, and end a session while you are feeling "inspired" instead of burned out. Make notes on all the ideas thrashing around in your brain so you will look forward to getting started again and will have a lot of ideas to grab onto when you do start again. Otherwise, you will have trouble getting started again and the project will tend to stall.

One more comment: You will not have time in your life to write a novel. No one really does. You will have to make time somehow. Carving out a small amount of time under imperfect conditions will be what you will need to do.

I wish you the best with this. May your novel be one of the few that actually gets written...and maybe even read.

Self doubt masked as self assessment.... right on the money there!

I've toyed with idea numerous times and even started. But, Lordy there is always a but, I'm a terrible salesman. That's what it boils down to for me. I don't want to whore myself out to sell. I'd rather be, live and love the way I am, without convincing someone to "buy" what is in my heart and soul.

I'm even struggling with the whore issue on another one of my creations.

I know...I have a half-finished short fairy-tale that I am writing with a friend, we both got stuck and have wandered away from it. Someday...

I like own yourself, not disown yourself. Well put.