essay writing phobia reddit

8 Bold Ways to Overcome Your Fear of Writing

by Sarah Gribble | 4 comments

Today I want to talk about fear. Fear of writing, fear of sharing your work, fear of publishing—and how you can overcome it.

Writers face fear on a day-to-day basis.

The self-doubt . The fear of failure. And, oh, the vulnerability.

Writing is hard enough with all the self-evaluation and doubt about your abilities. But then sharing your work with other people so they can critique or review it? CRINGE.

When you sink into that fear it debilitates you. If you let fear hold you back, you’re ensuring you never achieve your goals. You’ll never write that book and you’ll never get published. All because you were too scared.

8 Ways to Overcome Your Fear of Writing

It’s time to stop letting fear control you and get writing. Here’s how:

1. Do what scares you.

When you’re up against something that makes you cringe, ask yourself what the worst-case scenario is. Is it actually  harmful? Unless it’s something like jumping from a bridge into a rocky river or stepping in front of a speeding vehicle, it’s probably not.

Fear is trying to keep you safe. It needs to learn that just because something is scary doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s detrimental to your health. Do what scares you, and keep doing it, and the fear will subside.

This includes fear of our own writing. I'm not saying you have to go write a 90,000 word novel. Start with a short story, or try out some writing prompts.

Aspiring writers might feel intiimdated because they don't think that they are a great writer. The reality is, you can never become a great writer unless you practice—and to practice, you have to write.

Embrace and overcome your fear by putting words down. Start writing, have patience with yourself, and worry about the rest later.

The blank page becomes way less scary as soon as you put words on it.

2. Stop procrastinating.

Your house is already clean enough. That TV show can wait. No, you don’t need to run to the store to pick up a bag of chips.

Figure out when the best time for you to write is and then write.

If you really, truly need a break to clear your mind, set a time limit. Ten minutes of scrubbing the grout with a toothbrush and then get back to your writing.

Ultimately, those who procrastinate will be more prone to writing off procrastination as writer's block—and the more time you spend away from writing, the scary it will become.

3. Learn from criticism.

Criticism is what everyone fears. Not just in writing, but in life. We all want to be liked, to be perfect, to be praised.

Your writing will not please everyone and that’s something you should realize and accept now. Criticism is much easier to take when you go into it knowing that fact.

Don’t just ignore criticism, though. Writing is like everything else in that it requires practice. You don't have to rank #1 on Amazon or make a bestseller list your first go (even though I won't argue that would be fantastic).

The first meal you cooked wasn’t a gourmet meal. The first time you dribbled a basketball wasn’t Lebron-level. Someone was there to point out what you were doing wrong and set you on the right path. They taught you how to get better.

That’s what criticism is: teaching.

It's not  rejecting your work, which might be why some writers fail to share their work: because their fear of rejection is mistakenly associated with getting critiques.

Yes, sometimes it’s mean-spirited, especially in this age of internet trolls. But even in those nasty reviews, there’s normally something to learn from.

Find it. Use it. And do better next time.

4. Stop revising.

You want every sentence in your work to be perfect . I have a secret for you: you’ll never get there.

Your writing will never be perfect. 

Not to you, not to your editors, and not to your readers. It’s impossible, so stop revising ad nauseam. At some point, you have to let it go and put the work out there.

Perfectionism can stunt your creative writing instead of empower it.

To avoid this, set a limit. I prefer three drafts. That’s it. Three and then I let it fly on its own.

What are you writing for? We'll never know unless you decide to share your work.

5. Set goals and move toward them.

Focus on milestones like daily word counts and deadlines (self-imposed or otherwise).

Writing a book is like summiting a mountain: you do it  one step at a time . When you reach the top you might be a little exhausted and out of breath, but you’ll look back at all you’ve accomplished and feel proud.

Without these smaller milestones, it might be hard to finish your piece of writing, or even find the motivation to keep writing each day.

Stories are finished one day at a time, with hard work and a desire to grow your writing process.

Don't sweat the small stuff in your first drafts, like word choice. Instead, set a long term goal of continually learning how to write better and smaller milestones that will help you finish stories you start.

All of this is accomplished word by word, and by turning real and irrational fears into manageable tasks.

6. Embrace the fear of writing.

You’re going to be scared frequently in this business. My stomach still flips every time I submit a short story , even though I’ve submitted hundreds of times. It’s going to happen.

The trick is to acknowledge it and move forward. It didn’t kill you.

In fact, that little tingle of fear should be your signal to celebrate. You did what scared you and that’s amazing.

One book that a lot of writers really love on this subject is The War of Art  by Steven Pressfield. If you're feeling discouraged or swallowed by your fear, check out this book for some motivation.

Even better, find and join a writing group like we have here at The Write Practice. Nothing helps you overcome your fears like a supportive community with a kindred creative spirit.

7. If your character can do it, so can you.

You don’t let your characters sit back on their heels because they’re scared, do you? I hope not, because if you do, you don’t have a story .

Your characters don’t have the luxury of sitting on the bench. They must make decisions and do something about the problem. And so should you.

Don’t let fear of writing take over your writing life. Decide to move forward, to write that book, to send out that manuscript. Decide and then do it.

8. Ask for help if you need it.

Don’t be afraid to ask for time to yourself so that you can write. Your family and friends will understand you need that time because writing is important to you.

Find a group of writers and readers that can go through your story and give constructive feedback. You can't improve in a vacuum.

Need to know what a day in the life of a flight attendant looks like, or the lingo of a truck driver? Ask them. Trust me, you’re not bothering them. People love talking about themselves.

In the same vein, if you need help with research, that’s literally what librarians are for. They’ll be glad to help.

Don’t let fear of asking for help stagnate your writing.

Embrace the Fear

I want to leave you with these words from Carrie Fisher:

Your fears are natural and normal. They're also not the end of the story.

Your task, the challenge for every writer, is to face that fear of writing, acknowledge it, and write, share, publish anyway .

Need extra motivation? Have you checked out The Write Practice’s 100 Day Book program ? It’s the best way to stop letting fear of writing control you and get that book done. Click here to find more information on the course.

What scares you most about writing and/or the business side of writing? What are some steps you can take to overcome that fear?  Let me know in the comments !

Today I want you to spend fifteen minutes writing about a time you were scared to do something but did it anyway. Describe the exact feelings of fear you had. How did you feel after you'd done what scared you?

When you’re finished, share your work in the Pro Practice Workshop here (and if you’re not a member yet, you can join here ).

Sarah Gribble

Sarah Gribble is the author of dozens of short stories that explore uncomfortable situations, basic fears, and the general awe and fascination of the unknown. She just released Surviving Death , her first novel, and is currently working on her next book.

Follow her on Instagram or join her email list for free scares.

Work with Sarah Gribble?

Bestselling author with over five years of coaching experience. Sarah Gribble specializes in working with Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, Horror, Speculative Fiction, and Thriller books. Sound like a good fit for you?

Who writes? Pensioner, professionals, housewives, kids or religious gurus or what class of people write?

My fear of writing is criticism, as English is not my first language. The 8 tips above have ignited my interest to write. That was my childhood dream. I would love to write short stories for my countries audience.

I am a high school teacher and I have read criticisms on everything that is posted on the internet, though there are many good comments .

Please advise me.

Understandable Naomi. Question, though: Would you rather write in English or your mother tongue?

Thank you! Needed to read this.

“7. If your character can do it, so can you.”

My characters can sprout wings and get coached by sentient rocks. They literally jump off cliffs with jagged rocks below.

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How to overcome anxiety over writing papers?

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Alice! Health Promotion. "How to overcome anxiety over writing papers?." Go Ask Alice!, Columbia University, 24 Jun. 2022, https://goaskalice.columbia.edu/answered-questions/how-overcome-anxiety-over-writing-papers. Accessed 19, Sep. 2024.

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Alice! Health Promotion. (2022, June 24). How to overcome anxiety over writing papers?. Go Ask Alice!, https://goaskalice.columbia.edu/answered-questions/how-overcome-anxiety-over-writing-papers.

Dear Alice,

I have terrible anxiety about writing papers. Because of this, I put them off, need to ask for extensions, and then have more anxiety about completing the assignment. In addition, when I start writing, I find it difficult to keep going, especially because I hit what may seem to others as small roadblocks, like uncertainty about citation format. I don’t experience nearly as much stress about other types of work (e.g., studying for and taking exams). What can I do to get over or at least cope reasonably with this fear?

Dear Reader,

Just thinking about writing anxiety made this answer more difficult to compose. You see, writing anxiety and writer’s block are concerns for both students and professionals of all ages and academic levels. In fact, even the most seasoned writers experience anxiety or writer’s block now and then. Fortunately, writing is a complex process that, with practice and patience, may be improved. Read on for some strategies for overcoming the roadblock you’re experiencing.

Writing anxiety comes in multiple forms such as an inability to form an idea, a physical struggle to manifest words on the paper, or a fear of not meeting expectations that hinders your progress. The four main causes of writer’s block include psychological, motivational, cognitive, and behavioral reasons. Psychological causes often include mood or stressors that affect cognitive processing. Motivation-related blocks often arise from a fear of failure. Similarly, those categorized as cognitive causes stem from perfectionism and obsession with details, much like you described in your uncertainty when formatting citations. Lastly, the most common cause of writing anxiety is behavioral changes such as procrastination. Procrastination may lead to a domino effect in which more work doesn’t get done and the pile-up becomes overwhelming. Writer’s block is different for everyone not only in its cause but also in its manifestation and how long it lasts. For some, it may occur for a few minutes and for others it may take decades to overcome, but it’s good to know that it’s possible.

It’s worth noting that more and more research has been dedicated to understanding the psychology behind writer’s block in order to help conquer it. Multiple studies have concluded that writer’s block is most effectively combated by giving the brain a break. This period of time is called the incubation period and could include activities such as going on a walk, playing a word game, or getting a full night’s sleep. When done for an appropriate amount of time, these mental breaks could help writers to think more creatively and find inspiration. Fortunately, writing anxiety is typically a product of a writer’s habits, and habits are changeable! You’ve already made a great first step by identifying a few things that don’t work for you — procrastination and obtaining deadline extensions provide you little or no relief. Now, the next step is to try out or adopt some new habits. To help relieve the anxiety and fear you feel about writing papers, implementing any of the following strategies may be useful:

• Stay on top of your reading assignments and do your best to attend classes — that way you won’t have to cram or teach yourself course material before writing your papers.
• Prior to writing, brainstorm ideas. Create a chart or write down topics of interest to refer back to while writing.
• Follow the guidelines your professor talked about in class or included in a syllabus or grading rubric. If you’re not sure about the guidelines, ask for clarification early.
• Start writing even before you envision your entire argument. Getting words down on paper may help you come up with the rest of your writing assignment. Try free writing or diagramming to inspire ideas.
• Compose different parts of your paper in whatever order feels easy. You’re not required to write in sequential order, as long as the final product is well-organized. Some find it helpful to start with the sections that come naturally and move toward the more challenging parts.
• Avoid stopping and editing each sentence as you write. This will slow you down. Instead, consider writing your paper in several whole drafts, and take breaks between editing. Remind yourself that the first draft is low-pressure and exploratory.
• Write your paper in several sittings rather than trying to crank it out in one marathon session. Attempting to write a paper in one sitting may overwhelm you, thereby distracting you from your task.
• Avoid distractions by turning off your internet and cellphone or writing a draft by hand.
• Get feedback from others. Many schools offer writing support services such as helping you develop and structure ideas, find research, connect thoughts, strengthen your understanding of grammar, and much more.
• Seek out additional support. If you’re wondering if your writing block is related to a learning disability, you can check to see if your school as an office of disability services that provides support to students. 

You can also reach out to instructors or a tutor to help implement these strategies for combating writing anxiety. Remember that writing anxiety is common — and you’re certainly not alone. However, if you continue to experience these feelings and need additional support, you might find it helpful to reach out to a mental health professional.

Additional Relevant Topics:

How do i implement time management strategies and avoid procrastination, what are some tools for managing stress, what should i do if my classmates seem to breeze through coursework while i struggle, how can i find a therapist.

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What are some tricks for managing debilitating writing anxiety/phobia?

For the past 4 years, I've developed a severe problem with writing anxiety. It's become so bad, that I had to drop out of my first university because I wasn't able to keep up with the course work. I've tried to manage the problem on my own, but with very limited success. Part of my problem is that the reaction is very visceral. I quite literally feel like throwing up when I approach a writing assignment. I haven't been able to unlearn that reaction.

I suspect a great deal of my anxiety is coming from perfectionism. I know I shouldn't strive to make my first draft perfect, but it's like I can't help it. I have a lot of difficulty bypassing my inner critic when writing first drafts, so it makes the whole process very stress-inducing and unpleasant, which makes me put off the writing entirely, which then leads to binge-writing sessions which are just terrible.

I was wondering if anyone had some tricks for bypassing the inner critic and mitigating the nausea.

• academic-writing
• writers-block

• 10 Go see a therapist. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is perfect for treating this kind of problem. Your symptoms are too severe for self-help. It's already destroying your career, so don't hesitate but get help. All the best! –  user5645 Commented Oct 12, 2014 at 7:29
• I agree with @what. This isn't something you can work around with a listicle of helpful tips. If your anxiety is that severe, you need professional therapy. I also agree that CBT is the right place to start. –  Lauren-Clear-Monica-Ipsum Commented Oct 12, 2014 at 11:57
• If you're struggling to get out to a therapist, in the meantime you may want to check out Mood Gym: moodgym.anu.edu.au/welcome , it's an excellent onlione CBT course (though a bit patronising) –  CLockeWork Commented Oct 13, 2014 at 11:27

4 Answers 4

The comments on your post suggest therapy, and I think it is good advice. This is more than just writer's block or procrastination. It sounds like you have serious anxiety that's triggered by writing. Here are some things you might try if you can't afford a therapist.

First, pick a book and copy the text out of it. This will help you get used to the physical activity of typing or writing by hand without being concerned with what you are writing. When you can copy text without feeling anxious, then you are ready to move to the next step.

Second, move around the text you copied. Try rearranging the sentences in paragraph, or taking one sentence out of each paragraph to make a new story with the same words. Don't worry about how legible it is. You're getting used to the feeling of editing. When you feel comfortable moving text around like this, move on to the next part.

Third, play with the text you copied. Take a passage and substitute a few verbs and nouns with a synonym chosen from a thesaurus at random. Rewrite it using different pronouns (instead of third-person "he/she/it/them", write it in second-person "you", for instance). Rearrange the words in the sentences. Remove all the conjunctions. Do some small things like this to help yourself see that the same thing can be expressed in many different ways, and none of these is right or wrong.

Fourth, write something short that's not important. Something that has no deadline or grade or degree attached to it. A fake advertisement for an imaginary product might suffice. Write as much as you can in ten minutes, and then walk away from it. Come back to it in a day or a week, and revise it until you like it, or throw it away if you hate it. Then do it all again next week. From here, work your way into writing some things that carry more baggage.

These steps will hopefully lead you to feel that you are in control of your work. Hopefully, a few exercises like this, and you'll be over the worst parts of your anxiety. You can do this. You wrote this question here, so that's encouraging!

I have struggled with my inner critic for a long time and here are some things that have worked for me:

• Talking to someone you trust about your writing: Everyone writes differently but I don't think anyone gets it how they want it first time. Find someone who is either an avid reader or studying English that you know and trust and show them some of your writing. Seeing someone enjoy your writing can really help reduce anxiety. Someone who is a good critic is always helpful.
• Set short goals: If you are writing for an assignment/dissertation/etc it can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. When I had to write my PhD thesis my supervisor gave me the advice to set short goals and use bullet points to layout the structure (a bullet point per paragraph with the basic idea).
• Break the monotony: Along with short goals give yourself rewards for achieving them. They don't need to be big. Ones I use include: a nice cup of tea, chocolate, reading a short story, a short walk.

I still struggle with my inner critic but these techniques helped me churn out a nearly 200 page thesis in about half a year. It does get easier once you get going I assure you :)

• If you have tried all these things with limited success then seeking professional help via therapy (as suggested by several commenters) is probably the way forwards.

Gee, I agree with what . You need a specialist. Something that helped me, though (I was a perfectionist, too) is this quote:

"Art is never finished, only abandoned." - Leonardo da Vinci

Give up perfection . Look at your writing as something that improves incrementally rather than something that is fixed. You can always come back and edit later; something that's even easier with all the technology we have today.

Giving up perfectionism is great advice. It's also like blithely telling someone to give up heroin. I tried to overcome my perfectionistic approach to writing fiction by doing some simple writing exercises, only to find that I was just as phobic about doing the exercises. I even spellcheck my own diary! I think the best way to approach this is not to think of it as a writing problem. Begin by being less perfectionistic in other areas of your life. Live with a bit of mess. Don't pay the bills immediately they come in. Go out with greasy hair and notice how little these things really matter. Aim lower in your goals too. Settle for a ten percent improvement rather than 100 percent. Aiming too high can make you feel overwhelmed and paralysed. Aiming lower gives you a can-do feeling and you end up accomplishing more than you expected.

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Writing With Anxiety

Productivity tips, support, and encouragement for writers with anxiety.

Symptoms of writing anxiety and how to overcome it

Mental Health / June 20, 2022 by Allaya Cooks-Campbell

Is there anything scarier than a blank page?

No matter how inspired you feel when you decide to start writing, a blank page seems to suck all the ideas out of you. Or you want to write, but that inner critic kicks in. Every word seems wrong somehow, and you just can’t seem to put the words on the page.

This is one of the classic, tell-tale symptoms of writing anxiety, and I don’t think there’s a single person who hasn’t experienced it. Keep reading to learn what writing anxiety is, how to recognize it, and ways to beat it.

What is writing anxiety?

Writing anxiety is the feeling of apprehension, tension, and fear that occurs when a person is about to write — or is currently writing. The feelings can be physical, emotional, and mental. It’s usually not a fear of writing itself, but fear related to the outcome of the work. Writers might be worried that their work isn’t good enough, they don’t know enough, or that they don’t have enough time to finish the project.

With severe writing anxiety, you might feel intense dread when you’re about to write, or even about writing. This might be because of perfectionism, fear of failure, or lack of confidence in one’s writing skills. The symptoms of writing anxiety overlap with generalized anxiety disorder . If you already experience anxiety or panic attacks, the symptoms might feel very similar.

Symptoms of writing anxiety

The symptoms are different for everyone, but they can be mental, emotional, physical, or behavioral. Here are some of the different ways to spot writing anxiety:

Physical symptoms:

• Stomach problems, like issues with digestion, cramps, or queasiness
• Heart palpitations or rapid heartbeat
• Tension in the body, particularly the jaw, face, shoulders, and back
• Panic attacks
• Sweating or clammy palms
• Dizziness or light-headedness
• Headaches 
• Shakiness, like shaking hands

Mental & emotional:

• Negative self-talk or harsh inner voice
• Feeling frozen when it’s time to write
• Trouble concentrating or remembering; brain fog
• Negative feelings or thoughts, especially when trying to write
• Feeling on-guard or irritable
• Lack of confidence
• Feeling worthless or hopeless
• Excessive fear of judgment or negative feedback from others

Behavioral:

• Snapping at others
• Avoiding feedback or communication
• Sitting down to write, but not writing anything
• Getting distracted easily
• Difficulty finishing writing projects
• Comparing oneself to other writers
• Extremely critical of one’s own work

Writing anxiety doesn’t just affect new writers. It can make it difficult for even professional writers finish their work. When writing anxiety gets out of control, it can seep into every area of your life and tank your career.

Some people think that even feeling symptoms of writing anxiety means that they’re not cut out to be a writer. In fact, the exact opposite is true. You can get good at recognizing your triggers and developing positive coping skills to deal with them. This helps to build mental and emotional resilience — a key skill for any writer.

What causes writing anxiety?

Writing anxiety is a common problem among writers. Usually, the fear of writing is connected to some future fear. Writers are often afraid of rejection, not being good enough, or being judged for one’s work. 

At its heart, fear of judgment is usually one of two things: low self-esteem or lack of experience. Both of these translate to a lack of confidence in one’s own abilities as a writer. 

This is part of the reason many people think that writing anxiety only affects new writers. The truth is, everyone can be subject to feeling insecure or stressed about their writing. New writers might worry about whether they can really make money as a writer, land a job with no experience, or be good enough to be published. Experienced writers might worry about meeting deadlines, submitting work for publication, or hung up on past negative experiences.

A number of writers are very comfortable working within their niche, but get nervous when trying something new. For example, a skilled technical writer might worry about writing white papers. On the other hand, a competent marketing writer might be anxious about publishing their first book. Students are often worried about being judged by other students or teachers.

Procrastination and writing anxiety

The uncomfortable feelings of anxiety and stress can lead to procrastination, which is the act of putting off an unpleasant or difficult task. This might look like not starting on a project or avoiding turning it in. 

Procrastination and anxiety create a vicious cycle. Anxiety leads to avoidance and putting off the task at hand. Procrastination steals the time you have to work on the task, making you more and more anxious about doing a good job with it. After a while, you get down to the wire and the extreme pressure forces you to get the project done. Tim Urban calls this the Panic Monster in his TED talk on procrastination .

What’s the problem with relying on the Panic Monster? Inevitably, you’re stressed out, you don’t have time to do your best work, and you start a habit that’s hard to break. The next time a project comes around, you won’t feel good about it, because you know that there’s months of anxiety — followed by a panic-fueled all-nighter — in your near future.

The best way to overcome writing anxiety is through practice and exposure to different types of writing situations. The more you learn to recognize emotional sticking points in your writing process, the more comfortable you’ll get with moving past them.

Writer’s anxiety vs. writer’s block

Writer’s anxiety and writer’s block are a little different from each other. However, both conditions can have a negative impact on one’s writing life and professional writing career.

Writer’s anxiety is the feeling of stress, panic, and fear that a writer experiences before they start a writing task. It can be caused by any number of factors, such as perfectionism, self-doubt, and lack of confidence.  People with writing anxiety often feel self-doubt and fear before writing. While writer’s anxiety can stop you from coming up with ideas or feeling inspired, it can happen even when you know what to write.

Writer’s block is the inability to produce words for a piece of writing or produce any content at all. It might be due to a lack of inspiration, frustration, exhaustion, or burnout. Even when you want to write, nothing comes to mind. It feels like something is stopping you from ‘going’ or generating ideas.

How to deal with writing anxiety

Dealing with writing anxiety requires two parts. The first is managing the symptoms of writing anxiety. That means, elimninating the queasiness, tension, and brain fog that often accompanies anxiety attacks. The second part is to find strategies that keep you moving forward, even when you’re stressed.

Here are a few tried-and-tested ways of overcoming writing anxiety:

1. Take a break

It might feel counterintuitive, but one of the best ways to combat writing anxiety is to take a break. Try taking a walk, eating a snack, or going for a coffee (decaf if you have the jitters!). 

When you’re up against a deadline, stepping away from the computer can sometimes trigger a bit of separation anxiety. You might feel like any time spent away from your project is time wasted. But the exact opposite is true. Many writers swear by the power of a short break to clear their minds and get the creative juices flowing again.

2. Structure before you start

Sometimes, putting full sentences together seems overwhelming. Instead of trying to craft a perfect paragraph, a cohesive piece, and a compelling narrative simultaneously, break it into parts. Start by outlining your piece, then doing some free writing around a section. This can help break up the overwhelming task of the entire writing project. Small sections can help focus your attention on what’s happening in the moment.

3. Set a timer

You know that miraculous state of flow you get into at the eleventh hour? Harness that creative power by giving yourself a little time pressure. Set a timer (you can decide for how long you want) and focus on word count, not great ideas. Don’t edit, and try not to stop. Everything’s good as long as you keep writing.

If you’re feeling particularly anxious, start with just five or ten minutes, then take a break. Doing this will help you build momentum and get past that blank page.

4. Change your format

If there’s a particular writing style you feel very comfortable with, try imagining your work from that perspective. For example, you could think of a blog post as a social media post (with a couple hundred extra words).

There’s no wrong way to do this exercise. The trick is to approach your writing from your strengths, no matter what they are. If you have to write an essay but you deal exclusively with fanfiction, put your creativity to the test. Try writing your essay as your main character, and see how many subtle references to your plot you can work in.

5. Make writer friends

I might be a little biased, but writer friends are the best friends. Not only do they love what you love and laugh at all your jokes, but they understand writing anxiety better than anyone else.

Whether you’re dealing with publishing jitters, writer’s block, or wondering if you can really make money writing full-time, you’ll benefit from a supportive community. Join a writing group in your area or connect with other writers through social media. You’ll find that you are not alone in your struggle. Having a writing buddy to chat with about the ups and downs of being a writer can make the stress feel much easier.

The symptoms of writing anxiety can feel overwhelming, but they don’t have to stand in your way. Learning to recognize them — and having strategies in place to overcome them — is a key skill for any writer.

About Allaya Cooks-Campbell

Allaya Cooks-Campbell is a blogger, web developer, professional copywriter, and content strategist who began publishing content online over fifteen years ago. Since then, her writing has been featured in publications such as Huffington Post, Today, Readers’ Digest, Motherly, Romper, Well+Good, Scary Mommy, and The Kitchn. She was a news editor for Health Digest and a guest editor at over a dozen brands for the parent company, Static Media. Eventually, Allaya grew to run and train a team of over 40 freelancers and staff at Explore as Senior Lead Editor. She also worked as a communications strategist for Cloudberry Creative, a New York-based experience design agency.

Today, Allaya is a full-time content strategist and editor. She is the founder of both Writing With Anxiety and her boutique content agency, Alaya Media.

Writer's Anxiety

Where all this worry is coming from and what to do about it..

Posted July 13, 2017

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Writing is practically synonymous with graduate school. As grad students, not only are we encouraged to publish, publish, publish, but we’re also required to write excellent dissertations, compose flawless ethics applications, and hash out insightful term papers.

Not writing is rarely an option.

Yet, writing can be a major source of stress and anxiety for students. In fact, some research has suggested that around 50 percent of doctoral students in the U.S. and Canada drop out during the research proposal or dissertation-writing phases of their degrees before finishing their programs [1][2] .

(This, by the way, is not an encouraging statistic for a person who’s currently in the middle of drafting her proposal. But I digress.)

So what’s getting in the way of all this writing? In a study published this month in the Higher Education Research & Development journal, authors Huerta, Goodson, Beigi, and Chlup explored writing anxiety, self-efficacy , and emotional intelligence (EI) amongst graduate students (N = 174) at a large, research-intensive university in the US [3] . Before I dive into their findings, I’ll briefly describe what they mean by each of these three factors:

• Writer’s anxiety : Feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure when faced with a writing task.
• Self-efficacy [4] : A belief in one’s capability (or confidence ) to write in a given situation.
• Emotional intelligence (EI) [5] : The ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and use them to guide thinking and action (in the case of writing, using them to guide writing tasks). [6]

I imagine all grad students have faced hiccups in at least one of these areas at one time or another. However, these authors wanted to know more about these constructs, how they were related, and if there were any differences amongst students in how they experienced them.

Results revealed that, perhaps unsurprisingly, self-efficacy exhibited a significant negative association with writing anxiety (that is, higher self-efficacy was related to lower writing anxiety). In contrast, the authors found that EI accounted for very little of the students’ writing anxiety, and that this contribution was not statistically significant. However, the sample included highly emotionally intelligent individuals to begin with; thus, as the authors noted, the lack of variability in EI scores amongst participants may have skewed results.

Additionally, demographic differences contributed to the ways in which different groups of students experienced writing anxiety. For example, higher writing anxiety was reported amongst women, master’s students (as opposed to doctoral students), and students for whom English was not their first language.

So what do we do with this information? The authors of the study concluded by outlining ways in which universities can help reduce writing anxiety and increase self-efficacy amongst graduate student writers. They cited literature that has found tactics such as self-regulating one’s writing, writing regularly, and participation in a writing group as helping academic writers increase self-efficacy and decrease anxiety.

While these suggestions are likely helpful, they left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. It’s also important, I think, to uncover where writing anxiety is coming from. Is it unpleasant experiences with writing during grade school? Or systemic pressures for academics to be “natural writers” who do not need support?

Additionally, I can’t help but think about how so much of academic writing is devoid of creativity and personality . In an article written by Antoniou and Moriarty in the Teaching in Higher Education journal [7] , the authors stated that:

Where guidance and support on academic writing has existed, the focus has been on technical issues, e.g. structuring journal articles, and procedures and protocols for publishing. Little attention has been paid to the more holistic aspects, such as the lecturer-writer’s sense of self and identity , their emotional orientation to their writing and their creative process.

This quote highlights what I believe are imperative aspects of the writing process; that is, that it is often deeply personal, emotional, and creative. However, academic demands and the belief that academic writing is purely an intellectual task can lead to disenchantment with the writing process, creating resentment amongst many academics. However, Antoniou and Moriarty argue that writing in any genre requires all aspects of the self, and they encourage academic writers to take a step back from the mechanics of writing and ask themselves questions such as: Who am I? What are my values? What does writing mean for me? Only after that should they ask themselves what they want to say through their writing and how they want to say it.

Furthermore, the authors suggest several beliefs about writing that can be used by faculties and graduate students to support writing anxiety:

• Writing is a skill that can be taught : Given practice, guidance, and support, the authors assert that anyone can write academically. However, faculties need to commit to offering this support to their students, as students should not be solely responsible for developing their writing skills.
• Writing well involves building confidence and establishing safety: Because writing involves “emotional risk-taking ,” writing groups should prioritize creating a safe space where vulnerabilities and worries can be voiced. Academic writers often struggle in silence about their writing concerns; however, seeking help with one’s writing should be supported and encouraged amongst academic communities.
• Successful writing requires community: While creative writers often share early drafts of their work with other writers, there is a stigma amongst academic writers that their work should almost always appear polished. However, writing groups can help academic writers share the more raw versions of their work with others, eliciting precious feedback, helping them let go of perfectionism , and allowing them to get into the flow and joy of writing.

Antoniou and Moriarty also note that, “the most important lesson in developing one’s writing is to WRITE.” With this quote, I’m reminded of an undergraduate journalism course I took many years ago. My instructor reminded us that we wouldn’t expect to learn how to play an instrument without practice; similarly, we cannot expect to develop self-efficacy for writing without putting pen to paper (or hands to keyboard).

Council of Graduate Schools (2008), PhD Completion and Attrition: Analysis of Baseline Program Data from the PhD Completion Project. Washington, DC: Council of Graduate Schools.

​Huerta, M., Goodson, P., Beigi, M., & Chlup, D. (2017). Graduate students as academic writers: Writing anxiety, self-efficacy and emotional intelligence. Higher Education Research & Development, 36(4), 716-729.

See Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York, NY: Freeman.

See Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional intelligence. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 9, 185-211.

Bastug, M., Ertem, I. S., & Keskin, H. K. (2017). A phenomenological research study on writer’s block: Causes, processes, and results. Education & training, 59(6), 605-618.

Antoniou, M., & Moriarty, J. (2008). What can academic writers learn from creative writers? Developing guidance and support for lecturers in higher education. Teaching in Higher Education, 13(2), 157-167.

Amy Green, M.A., is a doctoral student in Counselling Psychology at the University of Calgary.

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Using Psychology

Do you have an essay-writing phobia.

by jmalouff | Sep 30, 2011 | Uncategorized | 87 comments

A few years ago another academic and I were walking with a student (“Kiki”) who said that she always handed in essay assignments two weeks after they are due — the last day before she would receive a 0. Each time she lost 20% of the total possible points due to an automatic penalty of 2% per work day late. Over the long run she was ruining her chances of going on to postgraduate study. The other academic walking with us started to tell Kiki that the university had now extended the penalty period to three weeks with a maximum penalty of 30%, but I elbowed him right away and shook my head. I knew that if Kiki heard this news she would change to submitting three weeks late and suffer an extra 10% penalty. I knew that because I understand phobias, and Kiki had one — essay-writing phobia.

This phobia involves fear and avoidance of writing an assigned essay and/or submitting the essay. In addition to lateness penalties, the avoidance can lead to last-minute writing with its attendant stress, poor quality, and low marks. This phobia is more common than you might think.

What causes essay-writing phobia? The causes are similar for all types of phobias. The main factors likely to contribute here are genetic, biological predispositions to feel anxious, perfectionism in general, setting an unrealistically high goal for the essay, low self-efficacy for writing in general or for the specific essay, and low levels of self-control. Two other possible factors: Avoidance helps the person feel much better in the short run by reducing anxiety, and avoidance with frantic last-minute writing gives the person an ego-protecting excuse for earning a low mark.

So what is the way out of essay-writing phobia? I’ll suggest 10 strategies in order of value for most individuals:

1. Change your goal to something realistic and valuable, like doing your best under the circumstances or submitting on time or ending your avoidance. Put aside goals of being perfect and impressing the heck out of someone.

2. Gradually expose yourself to what you fear. Write the easiest part of the essay first — start with your name or the title. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Then write the next easiest part and so on, all the way to submitting. Praise yourself for courage at each step. Use my favorite definition of courage: Doing the right thing even tho scared. There is a great deal of research evidence that gradual exposure helps eliminate phobias.

3. Discuss your fears with someone who cares about your welfare or write in a journal about your fears. Bringing them out in the open will help you deal with them.

4. Calm yourself thru deep breathing, meditation, or some other means.

5. Focus on the task at hand — tell yourself what to do next on the assignment. Think that you are writing a draft that you will improve later, if necessary. Positive thoughts often lead to positive behavior.

6. Challenge self-defeating thoughts such as “Ï can’t do this” by thinking clearly about what “this” is and by looking for evidence from the past about whether you can do it.

7. Think of times you have written good essays and submitted on time.

8. Think of how you overcame some fear before in your life.

9. Think of individuals you admire who acted bravely.

10. Write in a new location or using a different method, e.g., paper rather than laptop. The change of procedure might give you a new perspective or expectation.

Those are my thoughts. For a case study describing treatment of essay-writing phobia, see http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0005796786900422.

What helps you reduce essay writing fear and avoidance?

John Malouff, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology

[Photo by Tyler Nix on Unsplash]

87 Comments

One of the most effective ways I’ve found to avoid procrastinating is to plan what I’m going to write thoroughly and to break it down into manageable chunks (introduction, arguments, conclusion, for instance). Often, I think we put off writing because we don’t know where to start or we’re afraid of getting lost halfway through. If you have a good plan, you always know what you have to write next, and if you chunk it, the job becomes less daunting, because you can take it a bit at a time.

As professional project managers say: first you need to plan the work, then you need to work the plan.

Dear John I have had this battle for a few years now, although not usually late with assignments, essay induced anxiety levels are high, especially close to submit time. My motto is still working on it – Never give up. So thanks for giving me something to help me “work on it”. I look forward to reading the case study, when, I my essays are finished. Kind regards

This is brilliant! While I have never submitted an assignment late, I do procrastinate and worry every time I start an essay! I have to admit I have phaffed about for half a day over the abstract and introduction for a recent postgrad essay. Years of part-time study and I still agonise! :o)

I have often wondered whether we sometimes set ourselves up for failure so we have an excuse for not doing as well as we could.

Unfortunately though, setting high goals for an essay is often necessary for some students who need to maintain high GPAs in order to be competitive for places in honours and masters programs. I have found that this pressure added to my anxiety levels during my UGRAD. The old saying “You still get degrees with Ps” is true but not really helpful for a stressed out Psych UGRAD!!

I think I have the opposite going on…..I can’t bear to leave an essay to the last minute. I need weeks (or months) to write, reflect, write and rewrite, write, reflect etc etc in order to arrive at a place where I feel ready to submit my work. This is the ONLY way I can handle the pressure of the task. And it actually gets me engaged with the task, and motivated to keep chipping away at it.

I agree, breaking it into chunks works. And on a hard day I’m writing the reference list or something more light on. I know on the next or the next day I’ll feel ready to tackle the bigger stuff………..but in the end it does come down to sheer hard work and putting in the time – including doing the painstaking research, and having enough time for reflection. And the feeling that you’ve put that sort of effort in is satisfying in itself, and even more so if receive a good grade.

Thanks for the article. Having worked in the Australian Public Service for 19 years, writing is not something that scares me – but having returned to post-grad study, the concept of submitting an academic piece of writing has been more confronting. A different sort of pressure! Some great suggestions there – especially no. 10, though my wife might wonder what the heck I am up to tapping away on a keyboard in the buff! 🙂

Thank you for your article. The bodies of the essay seems to be the main part for me. I found if I break this up in chunks, topics are a lot better, ideally. Physically a relaxing massage may trigger more thoughts. Finally organised and finishing the task ahead of time.

Thanks to all of you for your comments. Many of you point to breaking the assignment into manageable parts. That, of course, is what we do in eating. We cut up our food into small chunks and then we chew it into even smaller pieces. Good process!

I like the other ideas too — planning carefully, starting early, getting massages, consistent hard work, persisting, What thoughts do use to combat anxiety about essay performance?

Arguably, the behavioural treatment of “phobias” is one of psychology’s paradigmatic successes. If the problem is with the submission of work, I think that what is required is a program of systematic desensitisation. Treatment could be integrated into an academic course, and as with all such programs would be fairly labout intensive. We would start with the submission of one sentence, delivered immediately upon receipt of the task, and after feedback had been given on that sentence, increase the task demand by an agreed on ‘trivial and immediately deliverable’ amount, give feedback, maintain salience by set a proximal deadline and so on until the task was complete.

Hi tjartz. I also favor gradual exposure treatment for phobias.

Holy crap this is a legitimate phobia? Like, a phobia that is actually recognized by professionals? I’m not just lazy/a neurotic perfectionist? I’m going to look at the link OP provided to the case study because that would explain so much. I am stunned.

Background info: I am taking a year off from my undergraduate studies on account of abysmal grades and burnout. I am not a bad student, per se—I graduated in the top 10% of my high school class and was accepted Early Decision into a prestigious research university—but even since first grade, my experiences with essays and the like have been very similar to Kiki’s.

Hi Miriam. Not only is it a real phobia, it is a common one among university students. I see evidence of that in the many, many individuals who access my posting on the topic. Also I know students who partly defeat themselves by avoiding work on assigned essays.

In the nicest way… I don’t think that there are any illegitimate phobias. Everyone with a phobia is suffering, and often unnecessarily.

You might like to have a look at Carol Dweck’s work on ‘self theories’. In particular how we can be scuppered by implicit beliefs about intelligence and achievement.

Hi there. I agree — there are many different types of stimuli that lead to phobias in at least some people.

This was really helpful. Right now I cannot give up any essays on time and I have a very low GPA. I am therefore gonna seek help and use some of these to help move forward in my academic life. It is also good to know I’m not the only one sufering

Hi CM. You are not alone with that problem. Good luck!

The problem I have is It seems that I can’t write something good without the anxiety spurring me on. It seems to give me some extra ability to focus but also makes me hate the process. I can start writing an essay really early, but the good stuff does not seem to come out until the deadline approaches and the adreniline kicks in! It is really annoying. I would love to sit calmly and write an essay and even enjoy the process, but everything I seem to write is trite until I am backed into a corner. It is so frustrating!

Hi Davenwillow. It seems that you need challenge or high arousal to write your best. If you use your imagination, you find find other ways than an impending deadline to create challenge or high arousal when writing. Please write again if you find an alternative that works for you.

My writing anxieties are beyond paralyzing. I become physically ill from the start of my writing, until my grade is posted. This information is so helpful, thank you!

It is really nice to see someone acknowledge the topic of essay phobia in students. I have been struggling with phobia for taking tests and writing papers for a while now. During my school years I feared preparing for my final exams but now that I am in college I have a strong fear of writing papers. I have tried making outlines, setting concrete time limits, writing from the body of the paper, taking anxiety medication but none of these methods help to counter my anxiety/phobia. I know this might seem like excuses to prevent myself from writing academic papers but this is truly how it is for me. I try to talk about my writing problems with psychologists however it is hard for them to grasp just how bad it is for me and they chose to focus on other problems instead.

Hi Sadbot. I know a student who describes her avoidance much as you do. If you solve the problem for yourself, tell the world how you did it — you could help many individuals.

Thanks for your thoughts, John, and everyone. I may have a ‘phobia’ now, but I didn’t start out that way. I’m an adult who returned to college 25 years after leaving, so learning how to write academically after years of e-mailing and Facebooking conversationally, has been really difficult. I think my phobia has grown out of my self-imposed perfectionism and the tedium in attempting it. Everything I write TAKES ME SO LONG. But, I agree that breaking into chunks, however one chooses to do it, is very helpful. Graphic organizers would be helpful, but I have yet to find a program that’s really cooperative with a newb. I spend all day trying to learn the program rather than getting started on my writing. Ugh. I’m sorry you all struggle, but it’s nice to know I’m not alone.

Hi Tracy. Albert Bandura would say that low self-efficacy about doing an assignment adequately is at the heart of essay-writing phobia. For students with a phobia, a better goal than doing the assignment adequately (which to some of them means perfectly) is to do the assignment as a good (or perfect!) student does: following a preparation/writing schedule, starting early, making continual progress, and submitting on time or early. In the long run of a career, timeliness in writing is more important than perfection.

I’m so glad I came across this discussion. But I wish I saw this 5 years ago.

I’ve always had problems submitting essays on time back in my college days. I majored in both Psychology and Linguistics, and took a bunch of other social science electives so understandably there were a lot of writing to do. At some stage I gave up on myself and thought I was just a lazy ass procrastinator who will never amount to much.

Before I start on an essay I would spend a lot of effort doing my readings, planning my structure, and extracting the relevant information. But when it comes to typing out the actual essay, I get stuck. The untitled word document can sit on my laptop screen for days and we just stare at each other until its finally a week overdue. Consequentially, I usually get a good raw grade for content but the late penalty takes it down to a mediocre grade.

Fast-forward until today, I have worked in a stressful(but boring) corporate environment for a while and never had a problem with time-management or punctually. A possible explanation I’ve thought of is that, ironically, I cared more about the quality of my college assignments than the tasks at my current job.

Lately, I’ve been thinking of going back to pursue a Master’s Degree but my undergrad grades make me weep with regret. How could I possibly tell the admission panel that my subpar GPA was due to late assignments and expect them to wave their wands of forgiveness? I probably can’t…

Thank you John and everyone here for sharing your thoughts and sorry for my long post in secondlanguage-English!

Hi CQ. You are not alone in suffering consequences of essay-writing phobia. You write well — look for a way ahead.

Wow- sums me up to a T! I’m doing my second undergrad, but my first one almost never got finished because I wouldn’t submit a thesis…it’s not that it wasn’t written, it was. In fact I wrote it one night but then spent the majority of the term “tweaking” it…which really just meant trying to fact check and double fact check, look for grammar problems and pick it apart to peices for no reason 🙁 I went as far as ruining my computer with some weird virus and was so relieved that I had a LEGIT reason not to hand in HAHA. My cousin is a computer whiz so that didn’t last for long. I took it to him to get it fixed but he was aware of the situation and ran my document through some of his editor friends then printed and submitted it for me omg! I got an A, but I felt robbed of my intellectual property- does that make sense?! I forgot about it for a while, but now I’m writing papers again and I can’t help but feel the same feelings as before. I know I have a problem with submitting papers but was too embarrassed to tell anyone. I finally did and thankfully my school has counsellors who are totally aware of this problem so now I get extensions and stuff but I try my hardest not to take too much advantage of that because I know in real life there are no extensions 🙁 I wanna “fix” this problem so bad…sooooo exposure exposure exposure! I may just try that writing naked tip too HAHAHA! Thanks for the great post and all the lovely dialogue going on here. Makes me feel a lot better about this 🙂

Thanks for your comment, NWM. Persistence is important in changing a habit.

Hi! I just wanted to say I really liked this article – I’m so glad I finally have a name for what I’m going through! I hate, hate writing essays; when I’m faced with a deadline, I’m sometimes tempted to grab a hammer and smash my head or hand in just so I won’t have to write it. The weird thing is, I didn’t always have this phobia or feel terribly anxious about my essays. I did pretty well for my first 2 years of college, I would submit my essays at the deadline or maybe a day or a few hours late and get maybe an A- or a B+ with a late penalty. I’m in my fourth and final honours semester now, and for the past 2 years, I can’t seem to meet any of the deadlines. My procrastination has gotten really bad – I sometimes submit in my essays one week late. For every day I’m late, my profs dock my grade by one half grade, so an A becomes an A-. I start crying almost uncontrollably when I know I have an essay due; I go into denial mode and consider quite seriously jumping out of the window to make the task of writing an essay go away and I start to seriously consider the benefits of jumping since it would mean that I would never have to do another essay again. I know this is absurd, it is my last semester and after this, I’ll never have to write another academic paper again. I also know that once I’m done with my paper, I’ll feel really happy and totally at peace and in love with the world and I will no longer want to jump. I don’t think I’m a bad student, I’m actually quite academically inclined and really like sitting in classes, listening to the profs teach. If I keep my grades up, I’ll likely graduate with a second upper class honours which is crucial for me if I want to enter my country’s civil service. But I am so scared that I won’t be able to make it because I keep submitting my essays in late. Every essay is a living hell I have to go through :(.

Hi jtxz. I sense your suffering — I feel sad thinking about it. Part of your suffering comes from an approach-avoidance conflict (I think that you want to complete your assignment and get a good grade but you feel anxious about doing the work). If avoidance of writing assignments is your only avoidance, your problems will soon end when you graduate — you will be free!

i cant write my essay. i just cant. im in college i should be able to write aa paper by myself.

Hi Moe. Phobias, though irrational, are common. I used to have a phobia of diving into water. I also had a phobia of public speaking. I am happy to say that I have left these phobias behind.

If the strategies in my blog don’t help you overcome the problem, consult a psychologist on campus. Phobia treatment usully works well.

it’s a relief to know that i’m not the only one. I failed a course in April because of this problem. now i’m taking it for the second time but the same thing is happening. the dateline was yesterday. and to avoid myself from thinking about the penalty, i play game on the smartphone. it is so hard to overcome this kind of problem. i wish i never do this master degree. i hope the lecturer still accept my essay assignment although i know there is no chance coz he is so strict kind of person. thank you for this post anyway. i will continue my essay now.

Hi Liza. Persistence often pays off in overcoming a phobia or any other type of problem.

This hits close to home, so close that even my nickname is Kiki! And as I am writing this comment, my deadline for a 1500 word essay is in 23 minute and I haven’t started >.< I have no problem studying for exams and doing assignments that do not include academic writing but just the thought of writing academic essays makes me break out in sweats! I have always either submitted my essays in late at uni or submitted in essays that only reached half the word limit. I would procrastinate until the last possible minute to start because usually the pressure of deadlines makes me less inclined to be perfect with my writing and just produce anything. In saying this, I have never failed an essay but also rarely ever achieved a great mark. My friends are always baffled by my phobia as I am an avid reader so they assume this means I am a great writer. My new years resolution to tackle this phobia is to write more. I will try to give myself things that I am interested in to research and write about. Hopefully I will be able to go through with this resolution!

Hi Kiki. You are a member of a large group (millions worldwide?) of individuals who fear and avoid academic writing. To leave the group, go right on Courage Street and then right again on Persistence Boulevard. If you submit a written assignment on time, with a proper word count, after starting early, and earn a high grade, your improved student behavior will be reinforced by the grade. If the grade is not so good, you may learn that you are not harmed by receiving a mediocre grade for maximum performance.

I ended up reading this blog because I have an essay due tomorrow which I haven’t yet started. I’ve done all the background reading and research, and even written a detailed outline, but I have a complete block on writing the essay itself until I’m almost out of time.

I used to think it was something to do with the adrenaline kick when I finish something half an hour before deadline (I’ve never actually missed one, but at my college being five minutes late means the mark is capped at 40% – if the policy was 2% deduction a day, I’d be even worse) – now, though, I’ve realised that it absolutely is perfectionism gone horribly wrong. I know my writing isn’t anywhere near the quality of published work, therefore it’s automatically terrible and the marker will think I’m an academic failure (and a failure of a person, too, because why stop there?) Writing it all at the last minute gives me a protective excuse for submitting something imperfect.

I’m trying to overcome this, but when I do start early I agonise over every single sentence and an assignment that should take a day or two of solid work takes weeks instead, with the bulk of it still being written at the last minute! It’s an improvement on high school, which I dropped out of after missing literally every deadline I had there, but still.

Interestingly, this isn’t the case with written reports and evaluations I’ve had to do at work – because my manager either just thanks me for them or, if necessary, asks for revisions. It’s the grading that’s the trouble for me, as if the entirely of my self is being reduced to a number. Of course that’s going to be stressful, even if the number isn’t a disappointingly low one.

Thank you for this post! I know it’s a few years old now, but at least I know that I’m not alone.

Hi Leksa. You are not alone. I hope that at some point you will care much less what markers think of you — you are not on this earth to please markers, or to be perfect.

Thank you for this article. I have struggled to explain my writing anxiety to others but when I do, I become frustrated because they don’t seem to understand. And I can’t make sense of it either. This has been an academic struggle for me going back to grade school. It has even negatively impacted my professional career.

I graduated a semester late from college because I didn’t turn in a paper and had to retake a class. Attempted to get my masters but after twice trying to complete my thesis class I gave up. It is not that I can’t write it is just such a difficult task…it is mentally and emotionally exhausting. I know that it has to do on some level with perfectionism and a fear of criticism. Like many I have the mindset that if I don’t try then I didn’t succeed by choice. Not sure were the mindset originated from but that is the inner voice that I battle with. This is the only area academically that I struggle with, I excel in all others.

I am currently back in school and picked an academic track that isn’t heavy on written assignments. Thought that with less writing that I could “will” my way through the writing but it is so bad that I look at the syllabus to determine how much a written assignment is weighted to determine if I will turn it in late or even at all. Which means that I have to work harder to sustain grades that can sustain the loss of points.

My issue isn’t organizing my thoughts because I can create an outline, have everything in order and can verbally recite the contents of the paper if asked. But when I put my fingers on the keys I feel like I am going into battle. It is a horrible experience that sometimes I just choose not to fight.

Hi Juanita. I can feel your suffering. I hope you will try psychological strategies or see a psychologist — anything that might help you overcome the problem.

oh dear… Could I use this as an ‘extenuating circumstance’ to stop my essay being capped at 40%?

My university is totally draconian. 1 minute late and its capped at 40%!

The ironic thing was that it was the first time I started an essay early, I chipped at it slowly and got over my fear. I was 1 minute late to submit and all the effort I made dealing with my ‘issue’ was in vain. It’s really discouraging to want to start something early again.

I was under so much stress, i pretty much skipped Christmas celebrations to work on my frigging essay that drove me to tears and unexplained increased heart rate for three weeks!

I still submitted something subpar because I broke it into too many little chunks that took me beyond the submission date so i still pulled a 42 hour all nighter to reach the word count by the date. Imagine my blood shot, teary eyes when the woman told me I am a minute late.

God I am crying now remembering it now (This was three days ago). And I am on this website because I am back to my essay avoiding ways. Sigh.

Jaappy, you suffered mightily due to be slightly tardy in submitting. Although you did not receive the grade reward you wanted, you did show yourself that you can start early and submit at about the due time. Your next step is to start early and submit early. You are very close to that level of performance, which may gain you the grade you want and positive emotions.

Thank you so much for this article! I’ve been struggle with this problem for years (since high school). And I feel like it has gotten worse as each semester goes by. I meant have to graduated from my undergrad degree last semester but I failed a subject (which wasn’t even meant to be hard in the first place) due to the exact same problem as Kiki in this article, in that I have this bad habit of submitting assignments a week or two weeks after the due date. I think it has a lot to do with my perfectionism which I have trouble dealing with, like I’m always re-writing and correcting everything before I even get to the rest of the essay. Even as I am writing this comment, I’m constantly either correcting myself or rewording my sentences.

But I also think I have a problem with academic writing in general – I found that my ideas lack coherence and/or depth (or they’re simply all over the place). I also have problems paraphrasing an author’s words or explaining particular concepts, as well as putting forward my own arguments. Often my teachers comment on how I’m just summarising what these writers are saying. It seems that I’m really terrible at critical analysis.

Everytime I have to do a journal article/literature review, research project or a combination of both, I get extremely anxious. But generally whenever I have to do an assignment, I get anxious, even just reading the subject guide which outlines the assessment tasks for the semester stresses me out.

I’m really tired of making excuses and apologies for having to submit assignments after the due date. I’ve gone to three different counselors in the past about this and I didn’t feel like they were very helpful. I feel like I need a personal academic tutor or something. At the same time, I feel really embarrassed about it. I also think I need to learn how to stand on my own and not rely or depend on other people all the time. Every time I ask help from people and end up getting good marks for a specific task, I feel like the credit’s not mine to take. It doesn’t help that I’m slow and disorganised (mentally and physically)…

I might have to give couseling another shot for this problem is literally starting to drive me insane. I hope what I’ve written here makes sense (I’m almost tempted to discard this comment but I’m going to leave it here because I think I need to get this off my chest).

Many thanks again! 🙂

Hi Anonyme. Many other individuals share your difficulties. Persistence in overcoming the problem is your best bet.

Thanks, John! I really appreciate your comment. (Just realised, I have a few typos on my post, e.g. *I’ve been struggling)

I did not notice any typos.

I feel so identified with this! I’ve had a big problem sitting down studying since high school, difficulties to find and stick to topics, organize myself and, well, I’m afraid of writing essays. During my undergrads I kind of managed to either hand in on time and get ok grades or hand in late and get (very) good grades. My university didn’t mind, but my sense of self-worth really suffered! I’m not really motivated to hand in some last-minute crap anymore (if I even had something written) when I know that in theory I could do so much better. I do try to sit down early, I love to learn, I love all the academic environment etc. It just doesn’t help. Last autumn I started a Masters, which is really heavy on writing papers and this university is much more strict than my former one. From the beginning I felt inferior (which adds to my anxieties) due to how late I handed in my papers during my undergrads. Result is that until now I haven’t managed to submit even one (of many), am blocked from future courses and scared to be kicked out. Should I talk to someone about it and whom? I always feel that this is my battle that I gotta go through alone and not bother University staff with inappropriate requests :/ In fact, a couple of months ago I contacted my University’s psychologist who sent me to a psychiatrist who told me that I’m lazy, a fake student (procrastinator!), not made for studying and should stop torturing myself and instead look for a job (knowing myself I would do the same in a job). I was supposed to have more consultations but this one crushed me so much (and increased my fears and reduced my self-worth even more) that I promised to myself to battle it alone. Now I have realized that I can’t do this alone and contacted another psychologist, but I don’t know if it’s too late to save my studies, especially since my university doesn’t seem supportive. Anyway, I was so glad to read your post and to know that I’m not the only one suffering through this. I’m determined to win this fight and learn to love my papers, though I don’t yet know how…

Hi Nina. I can sense your frustration. I am glad that you have sought help from another psychologist and that you are working toward overcoming your problem.

You seem to have low self-efficacy about writing essays. The comment you wrote on this blog shows excellent writing ability.

You could try the methods I suggest in my blog. Also, you could read this book and try some of its suggestions: You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life Paperback – April 23, 2013 by Jen Sincero

Best wishes, John

Wow, I’m feeling anxious just reading these comments. I’m searching for help for my college-age son, who is extremely bright but can barely write a word without intense self-loathing (and I know he inherited that from me).

He’s worked with therapists and tutors but still he suffers to the point where he drops classes if he feels he can’t manage the writing–which is all too often. His last tutor said he needs to be on anxiety medication, but we’re wary of side effects. I’m wondering if anyone’s tried hypnotism?

Hi Worried Mom. He might benefit from using the methods I describe. If those fail, next he could consult a psychologist who provides cognitive-behavioral therapy. After that: a psychiatrist, who might prescribe an anti-depressant or an anti-anxiety drug. Hypnotherapy might help, but i wold not bet on it.

I have an extreme case. I have very unrealistic goals when it comes to essay writing and perfectionism issues. I usually end up doing well in everything like tests and exams except writing essays. I fail courses and have been on academic probation and kicked out of university twice now. Once in 1994 and once now in 2016. My problem is that when it comes to writing an essay, I spend alot of time researching the material and trying to come up with great ideas and a great thesis. I have sleep disturbances during the time when the essay is assigned and due. I do all the leg work but have nothing to show. I can get 70 percent in a course without the essay component that is worth 20 percent of mark. But without handing in the essay, I fail the course.

The very few times that I have handed in my essay, they have been late and I have received penalties. I can’t even say I procrastinate. I have fail of failure and don’t want to hand in a crappy essay but also am plagued with this phobia I guess.

Background is that I have been diagnosed with bipolar since 2004 and am on meds. However, when it’s time to write essays, it effects my sleep and mood. I see people with mediocre grades getting through the programs, not to insult them at the least, while I am failing. I have spent so much time and money and have more than enough credits to have two degrees by now. However, I have none to my name.

I just can’t leave it alone. I love studying and learning and every time I go back to college or university, I think it will be different this time. Somehow, I will be able to hand in the paper even though it is not what is up to “my standard”. I also have a fear of plagiarism as well.

To make the long story short, is there anything you can suggest to help me. My motto seems to be I will die trying. Thanks for reading my comment.

Hi Jane. Your fear of imperfection leads you to fail. Perhaps it is time to view yourself and your writing as imperfect. That is how I think of myself and my writing. With your academic writing, switch your goal from perfect writing to submitting on time. Later you can add the goal of getting a passing grade. Go forward one small step at a time.

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When You Write

9 Effective Ways to Overcome Your Fear of Writing

There are several forms of fear that can affect writers. For instance, some people suffer from a fear of failure or criticism, while others experience the more common phobia of public speaking.

However, one type of fear that is often overlooked is an overwhelming sense of terror at just the thought of writing itself. If you find yourself struggling with this problem and dread sitting down to write for any reason whatsoever, there are ways to overcome it so that your life as a writer becomes far easier than before.

Perhaps you have found yourself in front of a blank page wondering what words should come next…

Maybe you’ve sat down to write but all those ideas in your mind seem to be gone now? Whatever your reasons.

How do you overcome this fear of writing? Read on to find out.

Types of Fears of Writing

The extreme type of fears of writing are called Graphophobia and Scriptophobia. But in less extreme cases, there are several fears that writers have that are connected to their fear of people’s judgment, rejection, and lack of belief in their skill or talent.

Before I get to Graphophobia and Scriptophobia, let me mention some of these.

1. “My writing is good enough already” Fear

These types of writers are afraid that publishing their work might make them look stupid or arrogant. They do not want to write for the public, but only for themselves… which is normally a bad idea since if you don’t have anyone to read your work—it won’t improve.

2. Fear of rejection

Some writers fear editors will reject their stories and novels and deny them the opportunity of being published in magazines and books. This fear comes because writers worry that mistakes with formatting, punctuation or spelling, etcetera will lead to their work being rejected.

When writers are afraid that their work will be rejected, they get anxious about their reputation. They fear what people may say behind their back if the writer’s story is not good enough for them to read or it’s too dark, deep, unhappy, et cetera.

3. “Others will not like my writing” Fear

These types of writers fear rejection because they think that other people will be harsh on them… and this makes them not want to publish their work or share it with anyone.

This type of writer fears wasted time and is afraid that publishing his work is going to be a waste of time since—in his opinion—it is not good enough and might never be.

4. Fear of the blank page

One recurring problem in a writer’s life is writer’s block. This is when your mind freezes and cannot give you something worth writing at all.

You cannot write anything, not even a single sentence or word. Sometimes, you just give up and are afraid to go back to a blank page. If it goes on for a long time, you might lose your interest entirely.

Graphophobia and Scriptophobia

Graphophobia is the irrational fear of writing—especially handwriting. Scriptophobia is the extreme fear of writing in public.

People suffering from these conditions are known to avoid writing as the mere thought of writing brings anxiety.  People with graphophobia may experience symptoms similar to other common phobias or social anxiety disorders when they are confronted by writing, and—sometimes—the anxiety is so intense that it develops into a full-blown panic attack as a result of it.

Some common symptoms include a faster heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating and trembling, nausea/upset stomach, dry mouth and difficulty speaking clearly, dizziness, fainting, and feeling light-headedness.

Someone suffering from extreme cases of graphophobia may take avoidance of writing to the extreme by ensuring that they are not exposed to any form of writing. For example, some may avoid going places where there is a lot of writing , such as offices or schools, where it is likely to be seen often.

In some cases, graphophobia can become so severe that a person suffering from it can feel like they can’t get away from writing no matter what he or she does because there is too much writing around them. Hence they may feel trapped when they are in writing-filled environments because they can’t escape writing’s presence.

Causes of Graphophobia and Scriptophobia

There are many causes of Graphophobia or Scriptophobia, but it cannot be medically determined what specific root is responsible for a particular case.

Two of the main causes are genetics and the person’s environment. For instance, a history of mental illness and phobias in the family may increase the chances of developing these conditions.

In some cases, graphophobia is a result of a traumatic experience and for people with genetic predisposition issues, it may only require a minor experience of traumatic event to develop full-blown graphophobia.

We can’t say for sure the definitive causes of graphophobia, but we can say that both genetics and environmental factors are factors in the development of all mental disorders. Therefore, they are the biggest suspects when someone develops graphophobia.

Graphophobia and Scriptophobia Treatments

Because there are no definitive causes of these conditions, there are specific treatments for them.

Be that as it may, there are several forms of treatment that reduce the symptoms of graphophobia. Some of these treatments are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, and psychiatric medications.

Does Fear of Writing Exist?

Yes, it does, and it exists in many forms. Naturally, some people might find it difficult to put their thoughts into words because of a lack of self-confidence or a feeling that one’s work isn’t good enough.

But—as you’ll learn later in the article—for others, this fear might be severe and is caused by complicated factors (i.e., Graphophobia and Scriptophobia). That’s why I have written the “types of fears” section to shed more light on the fear of writing.

How to Overcome Your Fear of Writing

1. face and understand your fear.

Think about it, fear is something that hides within you, lurking deep down in your body or mind. Fear doesn’t come in any physical form—it’s neither a person nor an animal. This means that it’s only manifested in our minds and bodies.

Therefore, if you want to overcome your fear of writing, then you must face this fear and deal with the manifestation, the fear lurking underneath the surface, and work to rid your system of this fear of writing.

“You cannot conquer that which you don’t know.” I don’t know who said that, but someone must have said it.

But, to understand how fear works, we have to look into psychology. In general, understanding fear has been one of the psychologists’ goals for years, and they have labored to find out why people are afraid and how they can overcome those fears.

If you discover that your fear of writing originates from simple roots such as lack of self-belief or fear of rejection, then simple solutions such as therapy or boosting your self-esteem can help you overcome it.

But, if the fear of writing has severe causes like Scriptophobia, then therapy is an effective solution.

Just like other forms of phobia, therapy may be advantageous for treating someone with Scriptophobia or graphophobia.

The kind of therapies that work for other phobias also work phobias associated with writing. For instance, exposure therapy is an effective form of treatment for people suffering from Scriptophobia. In this type of therapy, the therapist slowly exposes the patient to their phobia over a certain amount of time.

The underlying concept is that if they frequently expose the patient to that which they fear, the impact of the phobia will lessen over time.

Some may resort to anti-anxiety or antidepressant medication, but without using the doctor’s recommendation or any form of therapy may not be very effective in the long run.

3. Look to Writers You Admire for Inspiration

Sometimes, you’re afraid to write because you’re intimidated by famous writers and are afraid that you’ll never measure up, that is utterly unnecessary.

Instead of envying them or being intimidated by their success, use their stories to inspire yourself. You have to take some time to research them and read their works.

There are a lot of platforms that you can use to learn about writing greats like Hemmingway, Shakespeare, or Dr. Seuss . 

If you fear writing because you’re intimidated by successful writers who publish multiple books each year, don’t compare yourself to them! The more successful they become, the more stressed you’ll be if you’re trying to compete with them.

4. Take Breaks When Writing Gets Hard

It can be extremely frustrating to spend hours working on a new article or book chapter only to find yourself stuck and not knowing how to fix your problem.

To combat this fear and frustration, take regular breaks and stops and give yourself time to think over what you’ve written so far. Come back later with fresh eyes and renewed focus.

5. Stay Away from Social Media for a While

Social media is known as a breeding ground for fear. We see all these beautiful people with perfect lives and no fear, so we fear that we will never be as good as them.

If you fear writing because of your fear of being perceived as inadequate by those around you, stay away from social media for the duration of your project!

6. Never Give Up on Your Story

Almost everyone feels some type of fear when they begin to write their first book or articles for publication.

Either that or you’re too excited!

You can’t let this fear stop you from writing your story, you can’t let it win! The only way to overcome writing fears is to keep going even when it gets hard.

Keep telling yourself that no one will publish your work if it’s not good enough, so give everything you have before giving up completely.

7. Learn to Ignore Your Doubts

No matter how hard you try, you will always have doubts about your ability to succeed as a writer.

Instead of fighting these fears by trying to silence them, learn to ignore them altogether. You can be confident in your ability without knowing that you’ll never fail, but if fear ever comes knocking on the door again, tell it that it’s no longer welcome.

8. Remind Yourself That Everyone a Voice

You may think that you’re the only one who has the fear of writing, but that fear is universal. Billions of people struggle with fear daily and worry that they don’t have what it takes to get their words down on paper.

Even if you fear writing more than most, remember this: so do all the other writers in the world!

So, how do they do it? They know that they can’t write like everyone else, that the uniqueness of their voice is what made them successful. If you recognize this fact, you can overcome more than half of your writing fears.

9. Brainstorm Before Writing

The fear of writing can be attributed to many things. However, the one thing that is clear across all types of writers is how difficult it can be for them to get started with their work.

When you are struggling with finding inspiration or motivation to write , think about what may have caused this feeling, and then try using some techniques like brainstorming ideas ahead of time so you don’t feel overwhelmed when starting your next post.

Writing isn’t easy but taking steps in advance to reduce stress before sitting down at the keyboard should help alleviate any anxiety associated with “writer’s block.”

One difference between successful writers and those who are not can be summed up in one word: fear. 

Those who fear success don’t believe that they deserve to succeed. They fear failure and fear success, so they fear writing. But fear does not create a successful writer. Creating a successful career in writing is a process of overcoming fear.

Remember: most great ideas don’t come from inspiration alone, but perspiration. Be willing to put in the hours and effort, and fear will lose all power over you.

Recommended Reading...

How to get over writers block: 30 ways to unleashing your creative potential, strengths and weaknesses in writing.

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© 2024 When You Write

Writing Anxiety

What this handout is about.

This handout discusses the situational nature of writer’s block and other writing anxiety and suggests things you can try to feel more confident and optimistic about yourself as a writer.

What are writing anxiety and writer’s block?

“Writing anxiety” and “writer’s block” are informal terms for a wide variety of apprehensive and pessimistic feelings about writing. These feelings may not be pervasive in a person’s writing life. For example, you might feel perfectly fine writing a biology lab report but apprehensive about writing a paper on a novel. You may confidently tackle a paper about the sociology of gender but delete and start over twenty times when composing an email to a cute classmate to suggest a coffee date. In other words, writing anxiety and writers’ block are situational (Hjortshoj 7). These terms do NOT describe psychological attributes. People aren’t born anxious writers; rather, they become anxious or blocked through negative or difficult experiences with writing.

When do these negative feelings arise?

Although there is a great deal of variation among individuals, there are also some common experiences that writers in general find stressful.

For example, you may struggle when you are:

• adjusting to a new form of writing—for example, first year college writing, papers in a new field of study, or longer forms than you are used to (a long research paper, a senior thesis, a master’s thesis, a dissertation) (Hjortshoj 56-76).
• writing for a reader or readers who have been overly critical or demanding in the past.
• remembering negative criticism received in the past—even if the reader who criticized your work won’t be reading your writing this time.
• working with limited time or with a lot of unstructured time.
• responding to an assignment that seems unrelated to academic or life goals.
• dealing with troubling events outside of school.

What are some strategies for handling these feelings?

Get support.

Choose a writing buddy, someone you trust to encourage you in your writing life. Your writing buddy might be a friend or family member, a classmate, a teacher, a colleague, or a Writing Center tutor. Talk to your writing buddy about your ideas, your writing process, your worries, and your successes. Share pieces of your writing. Make checking in with your writing buddy a regular part of your schedule. When you share pieces of writing with your buddy, use our handout on asking for feedback .

In his book Understanding Writing Blocks, Keith Hjortshoj describes how isolation can harm writers, particularly students who are working on long projects not connected with coursework (134-135). He suggests that in addition to connecting with supportive individuals, such students can benefit from forming or joining a writing group, which functions in much the same way as a writing buddy. A group can provide readers, deadlines, support, praise, and constructive criticism. For help starting one, see our handout about writing groups .

Identify your strengths

Often, writers who are experiencing block or anxiety have a worse opinion of their own writing than anyone else! Make a list of the things you do well. You might ask a friend or colleague to help you generate such a list. Here are some possibilities to get you started:

• I explain things well to people.
• I get people’s interest.
• I have strong opinions.
• I listen well.
• I am critical of what I read.
• I see connections.

Choose at least one strength as your starting point. Instead of saying “I can’t write,” say “I am a writer who can …”

Recognize that writing is a complex process

Writing is an attempt to fix meaning on the page, but you know, and your readers know, that there is always more to be said on a topic. The best writers can do is to contribute what they know and feel about a topic at a particular point in time.

Writers often seek “flow,” which usually entails some sort of breakthrough followed by a beautifully coherent outpouring of knowledge. Flow is both a possibility—most people experience it at some point in their writing lives—and a myth. Inevitably, if you write over a long period of time and for many different situations, you will encounter obstacles. As Hjortshoj explains, obstacles are particularly common during times of transition—transitions to new writing roles or to new kinds of writing.

Think of yourself as an apprentice.

If block or apprehension is new for you, take time to understand the situations you are writing in. In particular, try to figure out what has changed in your writing life. Here are some possibilities:

• You are writing in a new format.
• You are writing longer papers than before.
• You are writing for new audiences.
• You are writing about new subject matter.
• You are turning in writing from different stages of the writing process—for example, planning stages or early drafts.

It makes sense to have trouble when dealing with a situation for the first time. It’s also likely that when you confront these new situations, you will learn and grow. Writing in new situations can be rewarding. Not every format or audience will be right for you, but you won’t know which ones might be right until you try them. Think of new writing situations as apprenticeships. When you’re doing a new kind of writing, learn as much as you can about it, gain as many skills in that area as you can, and when you finish the apprenticeship, decide which of the skills you learned will serve you well later on. You might be surprised.

Below are some suggestions for how to learn about new kinds of writing:

• Ask a lot of questions of people who are more experienced with this kind of writing. Here are some of the questions you might ask: What’s the purpose of this kind of writing? Who’s the audience? What are the most important elements to include? What’s not as important? How do you get started? How do you know when what you’ve written is good enough? How did you learn to write this way?
• Ask a lot of questions of the person who assigned you a piece of writing. If you have a paper, the best place to start is with the written assignment itself. For help with this, see our handout on understanding assignments .
• Look for examples of this kind of writing. (You can ask your instructor for a recommended example). Look, especially, for variation. There are often many different ways to write within a particular form. Look for ways that feel familiar to you, approaches that you like. You might want to look for published models or, if this seems too intimidating, look at your classmates’ writing. In either case, ask yourself questions about what these writers are doing, and take notes. How does the writer begin and end? In what order does the writer tell things? How and when does the writer convey their main point? How does the writer bring in other people’s ideas? What is the writer’s purpose? How is that purpose achieved?
• Read our handouts about how to write in specific fields or how to handle specific writing assignments.
• Listen critically to your readers. Before you dismiss or wholeheartedly accept what they say, try to understand them. If a reader has given you written comments, ask yourself questions to figure out the reader’s experience of your paper: What is this reader looking for? What am I doing that satisfies this reader? In what ways is this reader still unsatisfied? If you can’t answer these questions from the reader’s comments, then talk to the reader, or ask someone else to help you interpret the comments.
• Most importantly, don’t try to do everything at once. Start with reasonable expectations. You can’t write like an expert your first time out. Nobody does! Use the criticism you get.

Once you understand what readers want, you are in a better position to decide what to do with their criticisms. There are two extreme possibilities—dismissing the criticisms and accepting them all—but there is also a lot of middle ground. Figure out which criticisms are consistent with your own purposes, and do the hard work of engaging with them. Again, don’t expect an overnight turn-around; recognize that changing writing habits is a process and that papers are steps in the process.

Chances are that at some point in your writing life you will encounter readers who seem to dislike, disagree with, or miss the point of your work. Figuring out what to do with criticism from such readers is an important part of a writer’s growth.

Try new tactics when you get stuck

Often, writing blocks occur at particular stages of the writing process. The writing process is cyclical and variable. For different writers, the process may include reading, brainstorming, drafting, getting feedback, revising, and editing. These stages do not always happen in this order, and once a writer has been through a particular stage, chances are they haven’t seen the last of that stage. For example, brainstorming may occur all along the way.

Figure out what your writing process looks like and whether there’s a particular stage where you tend to get stuck. Perhaps you love researching and taking notes on what you read, and you have a hard time moving from that work to getting started on your own first draft. Or once you have a draft, it seems set in stone and even though readers are asking you questions and making suggestions, you don’t know how to go back in and change it. Or just the opposite may be true; you revise and revise and don’t want to let the paper go.

Wherever you have trouble, take a longer look at what you do and what you might try. Sometimes what you do is working for you; it’s just a slow and difficult process. Other times, what you do may not be working; these are the times when you can look around for other approaches to try:

• Talk to your writing buddy and to other colleagues about what they do at the particular stage that gets you stuck.
• Read about possible new approaches in our handouts on brainstorming and revising .
• Try thinking of yourself as an apprentice to a stage of the writing process and give different strategies a shot.
• Cut your paper into pieces and tape them to the wall, use eight different colors of highlighters, draw a picture of your paper, read your paper out loud in the voice of your favorite movie star….

Okay, we’re kind of kidding with some of those last few suggestions, but there is no limit to what you can try (for some fun writing strategies, check out our online animated demos ). When it comes to conquering a block, give yourself permission to fall flat on your face. Trying and failing will you help you arrive at the thing that works for you.

Celebrate your successes

Start storing up positive experiences with writing. Whatever obstacles you’ve faced, celebrate the occasions when you overcome them. This could be something as simple as getting started, sharing your work with someone besides a teacher, revising a paper for the first time, trying out a new brainstorming strategy, or turning in a paper that has been particularly challenging for you. You define what a success is for you. Keep a log or journal of your writing successes and breakthroughs, how you did it, how you felt. This log can serve as a boost later in your writing life when you face new challenges.

Wait a minute, didn’t we already say that? Yes. It’s worth repeating. Most people find relief for various kinds of anxieties by getting support from others. Sometimes the best person to help you through a spell of worry is someone who’s done that for you before—a family member, a friend, a mentor. Maybe you don’t even need to talk with this person about writing; maybe you just need to be reminded to believe in yourself, that you can do it.

If you don’t know anyone on campus yet whom you have this kind of relationship with, reach out to someone who seems like they could be a good listener and supportive. There are a number of professional resources for you on campus, people you can talk through your ideas or your worries with. A great place to start is the UNC Writing Center. If you know you have a problem with writing anxiety, make an appointment well before the paper is due. You can come to the Writing Center with a draft or even before you’ve started writing. You can also approach your instructor with questions about your writing assignment. If you’re an undergraduate, your academic advisor and your residence hall advisor are other possible resources. Counselors at Counseling and Wellness Services are also available to talk with you about anxieties and concerns that extend beyond writing.

Apprehension about writing is a common condition on college campuses. Because writing is the most common means of sharing our knowledge, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves when we write. This handout has given some suggestions for how to relieve that pressure. Talk with others; realize we’re all learning; take an occasional risk; turn to the people who believe in you. Counter negative experiences by actively creating positive ones.

Even after you have tried all of these strategies and read every Writing Center handout, invariably you will still have negative experiences in your writing life. When you get a paper back with a bad grade on it or when you get a rejection letter from a journal, fend off the negative aspects of that experience. Try not to let them sink in; try not to let your disappointment fester. Instead, jump right back in to some area of the writing process: choose one suggestion the evaluator has made and work on it, or read and discuss the paper with a friend or colleague, or do some writing or revising—on this or any paper—as quickly as possible.

Failures of various kinds are an inevitable part of the writing process. Without them, it would be difficult if not impossible to grow as a writer. Learning often occurs in the wake of a startling event, something that stirs you up, something that makes you wonder. Use your failures to keep moving.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Hjortshoj, Keith. 2001. Understanding Writing Blocks . New York: Oxford University Press.

This is a particularly excellent resource for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. Hjortshoj writes about his experiences working with university students experiencing block. He explains the transitional nature of most writing blocks and the importance of finding support from others when working on long projects.

Rose, Mike. 1985. When a Writer Can’t Write: Studies in Writer’s Block and Other Composing-Process Problems . New York: Guilford.

This collection of empirical studies is written primarily for writing teachers, researchers, and tutors. Studies focus on writers of various ages, including young children, high school students, and college students.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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How to Overcome Fear of Writing

Last Updated: April 21, 2022 References

This article was co-authored by Melessa Sargent and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Madden . Melessa Sargent is the President of Scriptwriters Network, a non-profit organization that brings in entertainment professionals to teach the art and business of script writing for TV, features and new media. The Network serves its members by providing educational programming, developing access and opportunity through alliances with industry professionals, and furthering the cause and quality of writing in the entertainment industry. Under Melessa's leadership, SWN has won numbers awards including the Los Angeles Award from 2014 through 2021, and the Innovation & Excellence award in 2020. This article has been viewed 3,061 times.

Whether you’re writing an essay, a cover letter, a novel, or anything in between, having a fear of writing can make it hard to start. Overcoming this fear may take some time, but it can be done! By calming your anxiety and building your self-esteem, you can get confident in your writing abilities and reduce your unease about writing.

Building Confidence

• Remind yourself that you can create great work.

• Explaining things well (great for scientific papers).
• Having strong opinions (good for persuasive essays).
• Valuing your own skills (great for cover letters and resumés).
• Making connections while reading (good for novels and summaries).

• This is especially helpful for formats like essays, scientific papers, or summaries.
• Resumés and cover letters have specific formats to follow that you can find on Google.
• If you’re writing for a class, your teacher may be able to show you examples of what they’re looking for.

• If you don’t feel comfortable meeting in person, look for online writing groups instead.
• Check out your local community center or community college for groups like this. [5] X Research source

• If you’re in college, you can also visit your school’s writing center to meet with a tutor.
• If you aren’t writing in an academic session, your friends or family members can help you out a lot.
• If you’re working on a novel, try hiring an editor to give you feedback.

• You don’t have to incorporate every revision you get if you don’t want to, but it can be helpful to get feedback from someone with fresh eyes.

Starting to Write

• Research paper: Brainstorm ideas for a topic, do preliminary research on the web, write the introduction paragraph, create an outline for body paragraphs.
• Resumé/cover letter: Look up job positions, pick out keywords to include, create sections and categories.
• Novel: Write out general timeline of events, come up with backgrounds for each main character, pick a location for the story to take place.

• Write a rough first draft by May 2nd.
• Get feedback on the rough draft by May 5th.
• Edit and create a polished second draft by May 12th.
• Meet with the writing center to edit the second draft by May 15th.
• Revise and turn in the final draft on May 23rd.

• Starting with the body of your paper can actually make writing much easier, since you can use an intro and a conclusion to summarize the rest of your writing.
• Or, if you’re writing a cover letter, you might want to start with your closing paragraph first.
• When you’re writing a novel, working on the climax scene might help you get the ball rolling.

• Try not to edit as you go—this will only slow you down. Instead, have dedicated writing times and dedicated editing times.
• It may help to keep your goal in mind as you work. When you think about the big picture, it can help lessen any fear or anxiety you have about writing.

Expert Q&A

• Try not to expect perfection from yourself. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be done. [12] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Pick a relaxing area without distractions to write in, like the library or your room. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/confidence.html
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/writing-anxiety/
• ↑ Melessa Sargent. Professional Writer. Expert Interview. 14 August 2019.
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/career-transitions/201007/writing-anxiety-and-the-job-search
• ↑ https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/wrd/chapter/overcoming-writing-anxiety-and-writers-block/
• ↑ https://goaskalice.columbia.edu/answered-questions/writing-papers-makes-me-anxious

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How to Overcome Your Fear of Being a Bad Writer

by Fija Callaghan

Fija Callaghan is an author, poet, and writing workshop leader. She has been recognized by a number of awards, including being shortlisting for the H. G. Wells Short Story Prize. She is the author of the short story collection Frail Little Embers , and her writing can be read in places like Seaside Gothic , Gingerbread House , and Howl: New Irish Writing . She is also a developmental editor with Fictive Pursuits. You can read more about her at fijacallaghan.com .

Weird, right? Becoming a writer and sharing stories with the world seems like it would be the best thing ever. So why do so many aspiring writers suffer from debilitating panic when they try to put pen to page?

Don’t worry—you’re not alone. Whether it’s fear of being a bad writer, of rejection, judgement, or failure, all writers have experienced this from time to time. We’ll explore some of the totally normal fears writers come up against when they begin their journey, and how to overcome them one day at a time.

Where does creative fear come from?

First of all, why is creative writing such a frightening endeavor? It’s so easy for children to be creative—they can build stories out of anything, and do it all day long. But something happens once we reach adulthood that heightens the stakes and makes us suddenly doubt ourselves.

These doubts stem from not being enough : creative enough, eloquent enough, likeable enough. There’s an idea that by embarking on a creative journey, we’re setting ourselves up to fail.

Because writing is such an intimate and personal art form, this failure can feel like more than a rejection of our words—it’s a rejection of our very being.

Harsh, right? Don’t worry. We’re here to guide you past these fears so that you can start writing and get those ideas into the world.

(And! A fun fact: the fear of writing is actually called “Scriptophobia,” which is a Greek word that comes from script , writing, and phobos , fear.)

Common fears all writers face

Every great writer has faced one—or all—of these fears at some point in their lives when confronted with a blank page. Let’s take a closer look at each one and what they mean for you, so you can find the courage to face it head on.

Fear of being a bad writer

Writing is hard , guys. But when you see shiny, published novels on the shelf that look like they were written effortlessly, it can make you feel like a terrible writer in comparison. After all, shouldn’t your novel just spin out of your pen in a riot of light and colour, fully formed and ready to take the world by storm?

We don’t see all the hard work that goes into these finished products. We don’t see that our favorite authors struggle with exactly the same doubts, inhibitions, and crappy first drafts that we do.

Remember—“bad” writing is rich in raw material for you to work with, and you can’t write your short story or novel without it.

Fear of writers’ block

Here’s the tough truth about writers’ block: it’s self propagating. Once you begin to feel that first hint of creative stagnation, your mind jolts into an irrational fear that it won’t go away… which only makes it that much more stubborn.

It’s a bit like trying to fight your way out of a spider’s web; the more you struggle against it, the stickier and more suffocating it becomes. It’s enough to make you want to throw down your pen and give up for good.

Unfortunately, this is a path backwards, not forwards. There’s no shortcut—the only way to defeat writers’ block is to push through it. You can check out our dedicated lesson on overcoming writers’ block here .

Fear of intimate expression

The best stories, the ones we read long past bedtime and that stay with us for a lifetime, reveal a true experience or feeling on behalf of the writer.

Even if this experience is wrapped up in layers of fantasy or science fiction, we inherently recognize it as something real. But when it’s us on the other side of that page, stripping away a layer of social façade for the purpose of entertainment can be blindly terrifying.

Many writers hesitate when they reach something a little too close to the heart. On some level we understand that we’re placing something very delicate and personal on the page for the world to see.

It’s a difficult, uncomfortable place to be in as a writer—but it’s also where the most powerful stories are born.

If you need a gentle push through these intimate moments, consider this awesome quote by Neil Gaiman (who we’ll talk more about a little further on):

The moment that you feel that, just possibly, you’re walking down the street naked, exposing too much of your heart and your mind and what exists on the inside, showing too much of yourself. That’s the moment you may be starting to get it right.

Fear of rejection

Fear of not being good enough for readers, publishers, or other writers is one of the most debilitating things we face on our writing journey.

No matter how many times we’re told that all writers face rejection, or that it’s a very real part of the writing process, it’s still scary—and it still hurts when it inevitably happens. Wouldn’t it be easier to just not try at all?

Well yes, probably, but then you’d never get to share your beautiful work with the world. Rejection is something professional writers deal with on a day to day basis and, like writers’ block, the only way forward is through.

We’ll look more at how to deal with rejection later on in this article.

Fear of success

Say what ? Yes, success is a real fear that many writers face as they inch towards the top of the publishing roller coaster—the apex that separates writing as a hobby from writing as a real job.

Many writers become afraid that writing won’t be fun anymore, that they’ll suddenly owe their words to someone else, that they’ll be inundated with vicious social media attacks, that they’ll be a one-hit wonder like Richard Madoc in Sandman .

This fear often comes from the impending sense that change is in the air. Publishing a book is a little bit like becoming a parent; once you become a published author, you can never go back to not being one again.

This is a super exciting time, but scary, too.

Ways to overcome fear of writing

So how do we deal with these realities of the writing life? To begin writing professionally, you’ll need perseverance, determination, and a hint of chutzpah to succeed.

The good news is that fear doesn’t derail these writer’s traits; it only slows them down a little.

Let’s look at some tips and tricks to manage fear of your own writing and start putting words down on paper.

1. Set manageable goals

As Margaret Atwood famously said, “You become a writer by writing. There is no other way.”

We know it’s easier said than done, but the only way you’re going to overcome your fears is to start writing. With every word, sentence, paragraph, page, it becomes a little easier and you’ll start sitting down at your desk thinking, I can do this .

Exercising your writing skills is just like exercising a muscle: start small and work your way up. Some writers like to set a time limit for how long they spend writing—for example, ten minutes of uninterrupted silence to simply journal, explore a new character, write a detailed setting, or sketch out a plot summary.

Or, you could measure your progress by word or page counts. Even if all you can manage is one hundred words of your story-in-progress at a time, that’s one hundred words closer than you were before.

Try this every day for a week, then next week broaden your goals a little bit more. If you start with small, manageable objectives, they’ll seem less intimidating and you’ll feel proud of yourself for getting some actual writing done.

2. Write by hand

If you do most of your composing by computer, try writing something by hand in a notebook instead. You might find the tactile sensations of putting words down on paper more calming and less intimidating than staring at a blinking cursor on a blank screen.

Plus, there are endless possibilities for the types of tools you can use. Whether you choose a fancy leather bound journal or a friendly composition book, an elegant fountain pen or an HB pencil with a nerdy literary quote on it, there’s a writing set out there that will feel just right for you.

3. Create a calming writing ritual

If you find those perfect tools to take on your writing journey, another great way to create a mental safe space for your writing is to get into a special routine. Think about what sort of things might make you feel safe, inspired, and judgement free.

This might be a particular area of your home, a certain tea cup you use only for your writing sessions, a special writer’s sweater (or bulletproof vest !). You could light a candle, burn essential oils, or put on a special playlist of literary tracks.

This writing ritual will look different for everybody, but it should say, “This is my writing space, and nobody can take it away.”

4. Join a writing group

Writing groups are great for two things: support and accountability. Your parents or your spouse mean well, but nobody knows what you’re going through better than other writers. They can be the best people to keep you going when times are tough.

Writing groups can share feedback and writing prompts to get you going, cheer you on when your work is accepted, and pick you up when you get a rejection or negative feedback on your work—as you inevitably will from time to time.

They’re also great for helping you stay on track and fulfill your writing goals, no matter how big or how small. If you need some help keeping on top of your goals, why not try this fun magical writing contract with a friend?

5. Write letters (and don’t send them)

If you’re nervous about starting to write, a great warmup exercise is to write a letter—one that you’ll (probably) never send.

This might be to your best friend, a family member (living or otherwise), your favourite author, or even a fictional character. Tell them about the things that are holding you back, and what you think they might tell you if they were there.

This is a fun form of journaling which takes the focus off your own insecurities, helps you become more self aware of your obstacles, and encourages you to look at them in a fresh way. Most importantly, it gets your words flowing. Before long, you’ll forget you were ever feeling uninspired in the first place!

6. Destigmatize rejection

This is a big one. Any published author will tell you that rejection is a reality of the writing life; as a writer, you’ll need to learn to face them head on and take them in stride. It’s all part of the journey.

To get some practice at dealing with inevitable literary rejection, why not try the 100 Rejections challenge ?

The idea is to aim for 100 rejections in a single year by submitting as widely and often as possible. Once you hit this mark, you’ll probably have built up a healthy stack of acceptance letters, too, and found opportunities you wouldn’t have thought of trying otherwise. And each rejection will get a little bit easier, until you start to feel like you can handle anything life can throw at you.

Another way to remind yourself that you’re in good company as a writer is to read up on the rejections other writers have faced, like this list here . From gently encouraging to scathing, these rejections could have stopped aspiring authors in their tracks—but they didn’t, and the literary world is richer for it.

Remember: the greatest writers aren’t the most talented, or the most well-connected, or the luckiest. They’re the ones who kept going.

7. Embrace the compost heap

Not all writing is good writing, and that’s perfectly okay . Some writers refer to the writing they don’t use right away as a “compost heap.”

This means all the writing that didn’t go anywhere, or wasn’t right for the story they were working on at the time, or got scrapped in service to the plot, gets put aside as “fertilizer” for future projects. You might consciously look back through your notes and stumble on an idea for a new story, character, or place; or, you might carry those disused fragments of writing in your subconscious, where they slowly percolate into new inspiration later on.

There is no wasted work. Everything you do as a writer has value, whether it inspires a new idea later on or simply teaches you something new. Which brings us to our final tip for battling your fear of writing:

8. Practice gratitude in your writing life

Every time you put words down on paper, you’re shaping your future as a writer. Whether you’re practicing a new skill, stretching your limitations, exploring an idea, or pushing past the edge of your comfort zone, everything you write has something to teach you.

If you can start looking at your work as an ally and mentor, rather than an enemy, you’ll see there was nothing to be afraid of all along. Honor your writing, and honor yourself.

Fear of writing success story: The Graveyard Book

If you think your favorite authors are immune to the fears of writing, think again. Even the richest, most famous, most successful published authors experience self doubt or fear of being a bad writer from time to time. One great example is Neil Gaiman’s prize-winning novel The Graveyard Book .

As Gaiman has said in numerous interviews , he first planned to write The Graveyard Book when he was in his mid-twenties. But after an uninspiring first attempt, he decided he needed to wait a few years until he was a better writer. He would do this every few years, write a couple pages, and think nah, I’m not good enough yet. I’ll try again when I’m a better writer .

It took him a long time to realize that it wasn’t his limitations of skill that were holding him back—it was his fear of being a bad writer. When he eventually pushed through this fear and wrote the book, he won the British Carnegie Medal and the American Newbery Medal!

The moral? Great literature doesn’t happen by waiting for the fear of writing to go away—it happens when writing becomes more important than the fear.

To start writing is an act of courage

A fear of writing is natural and nothing to be ashamed of—but don’t let it hold you back from sharing your words. Some people spend their whole life waiting to be “ready” to begin writing. The funny thing is that nobody’s ever truly “ready”; the trick is simply to begin.

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4 Overcoming Writing Anxiety and Writer’s Block

Carol Burnell; Jaime Wood; Monique Babin; Susan Pesznecker; Nicole Rosevear; Liz Delf; Rob Drummond; and Kristy Kelly

Carol Burnell, Jaime Wood, Monique Babin, Susan Pesznecker, and Nicole Rosevear Adapted by Liz Delf, Rob Drummond, and Kristy Kelly

You may be thinking, “You could give me all the writing advice in the world, but sometimes I just get stuck! What I normally do just isn’t working!” That’s a familiar feeling for all writers. Sometimes the writing just seems to flow as if by magic, but then the flow stops cold. Your brain seems to have run out of things to say. If you just wait for the magic to come back, you might wait a long time. What professional writers know is that writing takes consistent effort. Writing comes out of a regular practice—a habit.

Professional writers also know that not everything they write ends up in the final draft. Sometimes we have to write what Anne Lamott calls a “shitty first draft.” One of my favorite writing professors, Duncan Carter, used to say that he was a terrible writer but a great reviser, and that’s what helped him write when inspiration wasn’t available. So how do writers get going when they feel stuck or uninspired? They develop a set of habits and have more than one way to write to get the words flowing again.

You might associate the idea of writing anxiety or writer’s block with procrastination, and procrastination certainly can be either a cause or an effect of writing anxiety. But writing anxiety or writer’s block is more of a condition or state of being. We’ll start by defining the term—so that you can figure out if you have it—and then cover some ways to work through it.

What Is Writing Anxiety and How Do You Know If You Have It?

Do you worry excessively about writing assignments? Do they make you feel uneasy or agitated? Do you have negative feelings about certain types of writing? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might be dealing with writing anxiety. Writing anxiety simply means that a writer is experiencing negative feelings about a given writing task.

Writing anxiety is often more about the audience and/or purpose for a given writing task than it is about the mere act of writing itself. Say you just bought a new pair of headphones. You brought them home, removed all the packaging, and connected them to your phone, and they’re amazing! So you decide to visit the company website, and you write a stellar review of the product, giving it a five-star rating and including descriptive details about the headphones’ comfortable fit, excellent sound quality, ability to cancel outside noise, and reasonable price.

Now let’s say that the next day in biology class, your instructor covers the topic of biomes, and you learn about animal habitats and biodiversity and the interrelation and interdependence of species within biomes. You find it fascinating and can’t wait to learn more. But then something terrible happens. Your instructor assigns a term project on the subject. As your instructor begins to describe the length and other specifications for the report, complete with formatting guidelines, citation requirements, and a bibliography at the end, your palms start to sweat, your stomach feels uneasy, and you begin to have trouble focusing on anything else your instructor has to say. You’re experiencing writing anxiety.

Writing anxiety is the condition of feeling uneasy about writing, and writer’s block is what you experience when you can’t manage to put words on the page. But these conditions aren’t about the act of writing. Just yesterday, you wrote a great review for those cool new headphones. So why do you suddenly feel paralyzed by the thought of writing the biology essay? Let’s consider some possible causes.

What Causes Writing Anxiety?

The causes of writing anxiety are many. Here are just a few:

• Inexperience with the type of writing task
• Previous negative experiences with writing (e.g., someone, maybe a teacher, has given you negative feedback or said negative things about your writing)
• Negative feelings about writing (e.g., “I’m not a good writer,” “I hate writing”)
• Immediate deadline
• Distant deadline
• Lack of interest in the topic
• Personal problems or life events

Your level of experience may explain why you felt comfortable writing the headphone review yet broke out in a sweat at the thought of the biology paper. If you’ve never written anything similar to a specific assignment, maybe you’re unsure about whether you can meet the assignment requirements or the teacher’s expectations. Or maybe the last time you turned in a written report for school you received negative feedback or a bad grade from the teacher. Maybe you procrastinated most of the term, and now the paper is due next week, and you feel overwhelmed. Or maybe it’s the second week of the term and the deadline seems so far away that you’re not motivated to write.

Knowing the cause of your writing anxiety can help you move beyond it and get writing, even if you can’t completely eliminate the problem. If the topic doesn’t interest you or if you’re having problems at home, those probably aren’t issues that will just disappear, but if you try some of the following strategies, I think you’ll find that you can at least move forward with even the most anxiety inducing of writing assignments.

Strategies for Overcoming or Managing Writing Anxiety

There are a number of strategies that you can draw on to help you move past the feeling of being lost or stuck. Consider the following strategies to help you start writing again.

Just Start Writing

It might sound like it’s oversimplifying the matter, but it’s true. Half the battle is to just start writing. Try some strategies like freewriting or note-taking to get your writing muscles moving. Give yourself permission to write badly at this stage! Bruce Ballenger, a writer and professor of English at Boise State, explains why writing badly is an important part of the writing process: “Giving myself permission to write badly makes it much more likely that I will write what I don’t expect to write, and from those surprises will come some of my best writing. Writing badly is also a convenient alternative to staring off into space and waiting for inspiration.”

Sometimes the biggest problem writers have with getting started is that they feel like the writing needs to be good or well organized, or they feel like they need to start at the beginning. None of that is true. All you need to do is start.

Have you ever seen a potter make a clay pot? Before a potter can start shaping or throwing a pot, they have to bring the big wet blob of clay and slap it down on the table. It’s heavy and wet and messy, but it’s the essential raw material. No clay? No pot.

“Bad writing” is a lot like that. You have to dump all the words and ideas onto the table. Just get them out. Only then do you have the raw material you need to start shaping the words into something beautiful and lasting. You can wait until the revision stages to worry about shaping your writing to be its best. For now, just get the ideas on the table.

Create Smaller Tasks and Short-Term Goals

One of the biggest barriers to writing can be that the task just seems too large, and perhaps the due date is weeks away. Each of these conditions can contribute to feelings of being overwhelmed or to the tendency to procrastinate. But the remedy is simple and will help you keep writing something each week toward your deadline and toward the finished product: divide larger writing tasks into smaller, more manageable tasks, and set intermediate deadlines.

The process that the authors used for writing this text provides a good example. As authors, we had to divide the text into sections, but we also had to plan the process for a first draft, peer reviews, and revisions, along with adding images, links, and other resources, not to mention the final publication of the text online. Had we not divided up the larger tasks into smaller ones and set short-term goals and deadlines, the process of writing the text would have been overwhelming. We didn’t meet every single intermediate deadline right on time, but they helped move us along and helped us meet the most important deadline—the final one—with a complete text that was ready to publish on schedule.

Imagine that you have a term paper that’s assigned during Week 1 of an eleven-week term, and it’s due during finals week. Make a list of all the tasks you can think of that need to be completed, from beginning to end, to accomplish all that the assignment requires. List the tasks, and assign yourself due dates for each task. Consider taking it a step further, and create a task table that allows you to include a column for additional notes. Here’s an example:

Collaborate

Talk to your friends or family or to a tutor in your college writing center about your ideas for your essay. Sometimes talking about your ideas is the best way to flesh them out and get more ideas flowing. Write down notes during or just after your conversation.

Classmates are a great resource because they’re studying the same subjects as you and working on the same assignments. Talk to them often, and form study groups. Ask people to look at your ideas or writing and to give you feedback. Set goals and hold each other accountable for meeting deadlines (a little friendly competition can be motivating!).

Talk to other potential readers. Ask them what they would expect from this type of writing. Meet with a tutor in your campus writing center. Be sure to come to the appointment prepared with a printed copy of the assignment and a short list of what you want to work on, along with a printed copy of your essay.

Embrace Reality

Don’t imagine the situation of your writing assignment to be any better or worse than it really is. There are some important truths for you to recognize:

• Focus on what you do best rather than fretting about your perceived weaknesses.
• Acknowledge that writing can be difficult and that all you need to do is do your best.
• Recognize what might be new or unfamiliar about the type of writing that you’re doing.
• Remember that you’re a student and that you’re supposed to be experiencing things that are new and unfamiliar (new formats, new audiences, new subject matter, new processes, new approaches, etc.).
• Repeat the mantra “It doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to be done .”

Seek Out Experts

If you can, find more experienced writers (especially related to the type of writing that you’re doing) and ask them questions. Sometimes, this might just mean a friend or family member who’s already taken a couple of years of college courses. Maybe it’s a fellow student who has already taken the class you’re in now. Also, the tutors in your college writing center can be a big help at any stage in the writing process. Give them a call and make an appointment. And don’t forget the expert you see all the time throughout any class that you take: your instructor. Ask your instructor for suggestions. That’s what they’re there for.

Another way to learn from the experience of others is to look at examples of other pieces of writing of the type that you’re working on. How is this piece organized? Does it make use of source material? What sort of tone does it use? If you don’t know where to find examples, ask your instructor. If they don’t have them at the ready, they’ll likely be able to give you some suggestions about where to find some.

The original chapter, Overcoming Writing Anxiety and Writer’s Block by Carol Burnell, Jaime Wood, Monique Babin, Susan Pesznecker, and Nicole Rosevear, is from The Word on College Reading and Writing

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever felt anxious about writing? How did you get through it?
• How might the audience or context for writing impact how it feels to write it?
• What are some low-stakes kinds of writing that you could do to build up to a high-stakes assignment?
• What is the value of “bad writing” or “shitty first drafts”? What is the risk of trying to write a perfect first draft?
• Freewrite about your paper topic for ten minutes. Set a timer and don’t stop writing. Don’t worry about spelling or clarity—you won’t be turning it in. After the timer rings, sit back and see how much you have written. How did it feel? How did this approach impact your feelings around writing? Was it easier or harder than starting a paper? How might you use this approach in the future?
• Create a detailed timeline for your next essay assignment. Break it down into smaller tasks and assign a deadline for each. Notice: is this helpful for you? In what way?
• Write three hundred words every day for a week. This can be on any topic! Then reflect on the experience. How did you feel about writing at the beginning of the week and at the end? What changed in your speed or fluency of writing? What did you learn about yourself as a writer or your process?

Overcoming Writing Anxiety and Writer’s Block Copyright © 2022 by Carol Burnell; Jaime Wood; Monique Babin; Susan Pesznecker; Nicole Rosevear; Liz Delf; Rob Drummond; and Kristy Kelly is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

How to Overcome the Anxiety and Fear of Essay Writing so you can Get Started

How to overcome writing anxiety

Conquer your fear and anxiety about writing!

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Essay anxiety is not something that is spoken about often.  You may even find that when you mention it to your peers, they might seem confused and question why you would feel that way.  The truth is, it is more common than you think.

Many college and university students suffer from essay anxiety.  Even though it is not discussed, there are many others just like you.  Students who want to get the best grades they can but fear of failure hold them back.

Maybe you are afraid of judgment.  Or even in your ability to write and submit a paper that can compare to your peers. 

Perhaps your fear of writing essays takes on a physical form.  Your palms might get sweaty, and your heart races just at the thought of putting pen to paper. These kinds of symptoms are also common. You’re not alone.

We are going to discuss several methods of conquering writing anxiety.  By experimenting with different solutions, I hope you can find coping strategies that will suit you. 

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We also have an example of planning a writing assignment to reduce the anxiety surrounding the process.  This plan will help with not only your essays but other writing assignments as well.  With a solid blueprint, they will be less intimidating and more manageable.   It will allow you to tackle each step independently and write a great essay.

Then, you can think of essays in a way that is just not so frightening.  Something exciting or enjoyable.  This way, you won’t have the same anxiety walking in.  Choosing a subject you are interested in and creating a transparent plan to research and write your essay can do just that. 

There’s no reason to look at it like this massive, terrifying composition.   While essays are usually a reasonably labour-intensive project, there are ways to break down the workload to make it more manageable. 

Having smaller tasks that you can take care of quickly and with little effort is only one way to help to reduce your writing anxiety. Let’s start by examining what precisely academic writing anxiety is, so we can learn how to overcome it.

What is Essay Anxiety?

Essay anxiety is the manifestation of worried symptoms that students encounter when they are tasked with an essay writing assignment.  The symptoms can include nervousness, lack of motivation, preoccupation, and procrastination.

Anxiety in essay writing can stem from many sources.  Often students will feel that they are just incapable of creating a worthwhile piece of writing.   But the truth is much more complicated.

With the rise of social media, we find ourselves writing every day.  You may be writing essays and not even realize it. When writing a blog post or one of your latest social media captions, you may actually be writing a mini-essay.

Little, tiny essays that are broken down and easy to digest can often accompany Instagram and Facebook posts.  Just because I use the word essay to describe it doesn’t mean that it has to be incredibly formal.  Essays come in all shapes and sizes.  Really, at the end of the day, it’s all about the structure.

If you can write a paragraph and you can have an opinion, you can write an essay.   So let’s figure out where this fear of writing essays comes from.

Why is Essay Anxiety Important?

Essay anxiety is important to identify and address because there is a strong correlation between high writing anxiety and low GPA .  In saying this, it is also important to note that it is unclear what the definite cause is. 

Students may have essay anxiety because they have a low GPA and are insecure about their ability to score a good grade.  Or, they may have a low grade because their anxiety cripples them to the point that they underperform.

This relationship causes a cycle that is not easily broken.  The higher the anxiety, the worse the symptoms are.  Students can become utterly disabled by writing anxiety to the point where they will avoid classes with writing assignments and may drop out of school altogether. 

Essay anxiety does not only manifest when writing essay assignments.  Students with higher essay anxiety often score lower on written exams and standardized writing tests as well.   These are unfortunately unavoidable regardless of what types of classes you are taking.  If you tend to score lower due to your crippling anxiety, test-taking and test anxiety may also be a real struggle for you.

Women report writing anxiety at nearly twice the rate of men.  This could be due to several factors, including cultural and social expectations from others.  It may also be due to the heightened and unrealistic expectations that women often place on themselves.

What causes writing anxiety?

Essay anxiety is likely rooted in early experiences .  These fears probably grew over time from slight insecurity to a full phobia.  Many factors could have contributed to this evolution, from the difficulty expressing yourself in words to a critical review from a judgemental teacher.

Likely the initial worries and insecurities may have changed into negative thoughts, which worsened over time.  Negative self-talk might play a part as the attitude about writing tasks worsened.

As the anxious thoughts got harsher, you may have started to manifest physical symptoms.  Some common examples are:

Nervousness,

Unpleasant feelings,

Preoccupation,

Withdrawal,

Procrastination,

Other symptoms related to situational anxiety.

The fear of writing essays is so much more complicated than just an unwillingness to do the work.  Students have genuine symptoms that can plague them from the moment they find out they have to complete this assignment, even if it is weeks or months away.

What triggers essay-writing phobia?

Many triggers can contribute to essay anxiety.  Many of them fall into the category of negative self-talk.  As the pressure mounts, you may feel like you have limited control over these limiting beliefs, and they might flood your head. 

But these beliefs are not real, and they can be addressed and conquered:

Worries others will judge their writing – This fear is fundamentally linked to the possibility of a failing grade.  Your work will be evaluated and critiqued by the professor.  That is how you get your mark.  The fear of judgement is often so much deeper than that.  Often students worry they will be singled out and ridiculed, possibly in public.  This fear touches on some of the deepest places of your soul.  Try writing out these fears and keeping a journal.  If you have a support system of access to a counsellor through student services, try their ear.

Fear of the unknown – If you could time travel to the future and take a peek at your grade, this entire process would be so much simpler, regardless of how you perform.  Because you do not know what the future holds, this fear can cripple you before you start.  What if you get writer’s block?   What if you can’t find anything to write about?  What if you fail?  So many what-ifs run through your mind, and you are powerless to stop it.  Try writing all these fears down on a scrap of paper and describe why you are afraid.  Sometimes this simple trick can help prevent these thoughts from monopolizing your brain space.

History of poor academic performance – if you have not been able to get the grades you want in the past, how can you break that cycle .  No one wants to fail, but no matter what you try, you just can’t seem to get the hang of the material.  Maybe you constantly feel like you are drowning in the workload and just can’t keep up with the rest of the class.  In a case like this, it is best to break up the assignment into manageable tasks .  Work on the list over time and try your best not to procrastinate.

Learn how to break up a big assignment here.

Learn how to get the best grade possible here..

Teachers’ negative expectations – If you have had an incredibly critical teacher in the past, you know how anxiety-inducing it could be to hand an assignment in.  For some students, this fear continues and transfers on to other teachers, warranted or not.  This is extremely similar to the fear of judgement and can run really deep.  Try to establish relationships with your professors.  Even if it is just a passing “Hello.”  This can humanize your professor ad help you realize that they might not be as harsh as you expect.  Keeping a journal and writing out your worries can also be very therapeutic.  Check with student services if your anxiety is crippling.  Schools often have resources for students to alleviate some of this suffering.

Fear of Failure – This is a common fear for many students.  Post-Secondary can be ultra-competitive.   Many positions, rewards, and scholarships are determined by your GPA.  Furthermore, many of the applications require a significant amount of writing, and an essay is often required. It may be challenging to build the strength to apply for many programs, positions, or even classes if you have writing anxiety.  Just try to start.  Put your pen to paper and write down anything.  No matter how horrible that first draft is, it can always be edited until it meets your expectations.  Unfortunately, it can not meet any expectations until it is written.

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5 Tips and for Conquering Writing Anxiety

In many schools, there are services to help students cope with their struggles.  Symptoms of anxiety can be treated.  If you are battling any anxieties or writing phobia, please check your local resources to discover your options.

You can also try these strategies that may help you to cope with some of the symptoms:

Use positive self-talk strategies to increase confidence in your abilities.

Meditation ,  breathing exercises , and guided imagery .

Create a list of negative thoughts and write positive ideas to counteract

Reading can help to increase writing proficiency.

Create a detailed plan to tackle your assignment .

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I hope that you were able to take away some understanding about the root of your writing anxiety.  I believe that understanding the root cause of many of these fears can help to overcome them. Pulling back the curtain and understanding where your insecurities originate can help you find strategies to get past them. 

I also believe in asking for help when it is needed.  So often, we think that we are coping and that many of these fears can be handled by white-knuckling through them.  The truth is, when we address and conquer our fears, we can create a better quality of life.

Need help creating an essay?  Let me help!

Download this easy-to-use FREE Essay Writing Checklist to help with your next essay.  This printable checklist will guide you through the entire essay writing process, from choosing a topic to editing.  It is free and can help you with any writing assignment you might have.

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Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Mental Health — Fears And Phobias

Fears and Phobias

• Categories: Mental Health

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Published: Mar 13, 2024

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