We writers often talk about the reasons we like to write. But what are the reasons we don’t write? What keeps us from writing?

Several things probably come to mind: procrastination, not having enough time, and not feeling creative, just to name a few. But at the end of the day, one main thing keeps us from writing.

The novelist Erica Jong hit the nail on the head when she said, “I went for years not finishing anything. Because, of course, when you finish something you can be judged.”

Let’s take a moment for some honesty. Is there someone in your life you’re afraid of disappointing with your writing?

Maybe it’s a parent or a sibling. Maybe it’s a teacher. Maybe it’s a friend of yours who has a popular blog or has published some books.

Imagine that you put your writing out there and they don’t like it. Maybe they express some disappointment or even leave a bad review on Amazon. Then, they move on with their life and promptly forget about it.

But that’s about the extent of it. At its worst, being judged by someone just means your writing is not for them.

Yet, in our minds, we are terrified of disappointing someone. We let this fear of being judged by one person keep us from creating writing that ninety-nine other people will love.

So, finish your writing. Do the work. Chances are pretty high that the ninety-nine will love it. And the one person who might not like it? That means it just wasn’t for them.

Today’s Challenge: Think about that one person you are most afraid of disappointing. What’s the worst that could happen if they don’t like your writing?