By Dame Kaz
I make no secret of my love for Stacia Kane. Not only is she an amazingly talented writer – and I mean that 110% – she is also a friend of mine. She is a goddess: loyal, passionate, honest, and damned funny. 
Ladies, gentlemen and fellow Dames, I give you our latest Dame for a Day… Dame Stacia Kane:
Pressure…pushing down on me
Oh, yes.
Years ago, before I was published anywhere, I remember hearing writers complain about pressure. Deadline pressure. Performance issues. And I remember thinking those writers were just a bunch of whiners.
Not anymore.
It creeps up on you, you see. You approach your first sale like an Olympic hurdler, confidently bounding over the obstacles. You’ve trained for this. You can do this. You keep working and working, polishing and polishing, until you have something you’re proud of. Something that sells. And yeah, it feels good.
Maybe you write another book; maybe the second in a series, or a new book, and it sells too, and you feel even better. If you’re anything like me you don’t feel great, because you wonder in the back of your head what sort of insanity possessed the editor, but you feel good. Because you thought that book was all right. You envision a career, now, stretching ahead of you like an empty highway, waiting for you to zip along it while the sun rises behind you.
And then Donald Turnupseed appears out of nowhere, and you’re spinning into darkness, your confidence shattered.
What does it? It’s different for everyone. Maybe it’s a tight deadline. For me it’s performance anxiety, just like a teenage virgin.
See, I liked PERSONAL DEMONS. I thought it was fun. I was excited when an editor liked it too, and bought it. And I started writing DEMON INSIDE shortly after it sold, and I liked that too. I thought it did a pretty good job of expanding the world. I thought I managed to keep the tension between Greyson and Megan going, and slip in a pretty damn hot sex scene right about 2/3 of the way through the book. I was pleased with it, overall; not thrilled, because the books never live up in reality to what was in my head, but I was pleased.
Then I got this new idea I was all excited about, and wrote UNHOLY GHOSTS, and loved it. Again, not what I pictured, but I was really happy. And it got me signed with an agent. And it sold to Del Rey. And I was thrilled. There was that highway, and if I could just keep steering straight I could make it to the beach. Or whatever.
All was rosy. Until PERSONAL DEMONS was released. And people liked it.
I know it sounds crazy, to suddenly feel scared and bad because people liked your book. But I never claimed to be sane. All I know is, the book was greeted so warmly. So much more enthusiastically than I’d expected. And…can I be frank?
It scares the hell out of me.
Suddenly there are expectations. People who loved the first book—and if you’re one of them, thank you so much, seriously—are excited about the second. They think it will be as good as the first. Maybe even better. Is it? I don’t know!
And what about people who are looking forward to the Downside series in November? The two series are very different. What if people hate the new books, because they’re so much darker? What if readers who pick up the new books go back and read the old ones and decide I’m a hack? What if I can’t please them? What if I really am a hack? I know I am, deep down. I was hoping to keep them all from finding out, but soon they’ll read the books and they’ll know. They’ll all know. It’s like that dream that nobody ever really has, where you go to school in your underwear? Only this is no dream, it’s real. There are real books out there, with my name on them, and now I have to keep producing them and pleasing people, and I want to so badly, and I’m lucky to get the chance to try—I know that—but it’s terrifying at the same time.
Because I’m asking real people—strangers! Not just my mom or someone—to spend their money on something I made up. Worse than that, I’m asking people who liked the first thing I made up to read another thing I made up, and if they loved the first thing they’re putting their faith in me to give them something else to love.
But I’m just me. I can’t make them all happy. And they don’t owe me anything. I owe them something, every one of them. But they owe me nothing. If the book isn’t good, I don’t deserve a pat on the head and a “You’ll do better next time.” Why would I? This is the real world, and those wonderful readers who spend their own money on my books have a right to expect something worth that money.
And that’s the pressure, right there. Deadlines can be tough, yes. They loom, deadlines do. But what really gets me is the fear of letting people down. The fear of letting readers down. It’s there, lurking beneath everything. I can put it out of my head while I’m actually writing, and serve the story as best as I’m able. But once it’s done, and turned in? The closer we get to release date the more terrified I get, until all I want to do is hide with a bottle of bourbon.
Because I know I’m never as good as I should be. I’m never as good as readers deserve me to be. I want to be. I try to be. But that fear never leaves. It hides under my bed like a crazy ankle-slasher in a bad horror film, ready to leap out at me and suck me into the blackness below, screaming “You stink! You STINK!!” in a high-pitched, shrieky kind of voice, and raise its meat hook high above my head while I—
Oh. Um. Sorry, I got carried away there, at the end. Never mind. The point is, there’s a type of pressure I’d never thought about, and that’s it. And since DEMON INSIDE releases on Tuesday, it’s very much on my mind these days, so I’m passing it on to you. Something for you to think about. Maybe in the middle of the night, when you’re trying to sleep but you just heard a noise that sounds an awful lot like the sound of a meat-hook scraping against the bedframe?
Don’t worry. It’s probably just me under there, with my bourbon.
—
Thanks again to Stace for such an awesome post, and she’s also agreed to give away a signed copy of her new release, Demon Inside, to one lucky winner. All you have to do is leave a comment answering this question: what is the pressure that scares you most? It can be writing-related, of course, but it certainly doesn’t have to be. There’s not much time to get your name in the hat for this contest – I am posting on Monday next week so I’ll announce the winner then. You only have until 11am Eastern Time in the US (4pm here in London, UK), Monday 27th July. I will then post my entry and include the winner of Stacia’s giveaway. Get commenting!
You can visit Stacia Kane at her sexy new website where she blogs regularly, and is currently running a series about critique partners, groups and beta-readers.
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Tags: Contests, Dame for a Day, Karen Mahoney
The pressure that scares me the most is ensuring I bring up our adopted children to be the best they can be and be sociable, law-abiding adults.
The pressure that scares me the most is switching from community college to university in August. I won’t like, I’m scared to death.
Stacia! I loved Personal Demon and I’m very excited to read Demon Inside. I’m happy to have been one of the people who scared you after PD came out.
-Brooke
Great post, and thank you!
The pressure that scares me most? Hmm, it’s probably related to finding (and maintaining) the balance between being and doing.
Pressure? My only pressure comes from work and that is to make sure things are done without major mistakes, which can be scary when people rely on you that much! My other pressure would be making sure my daughter turns out to be a great adult…
My biggest pressure? I’m the lone income in our one-income household. I let my husband be the full time struggling artist type, and I do the 9-5 (and somewhere in there, I try to write, too). So my pressure is to Be. Perfect. at work so I can make enough to support us (and our scarily impressive book buying habit).
I’m most scared of the same thing as Stacia (I think). Letting people down. Having people think I’m a loser. Having people *know* I’m a failure.
On a more interesting topic, the cover of Unholy Ghosts has me totally curious. Curious is good.
I’m scared of embarrassing myself. Maybe it’s related to my perfectionism, I don’t know, but just thinking about being embarrassed makes my stomach clench.
Oh, but the post was awesome and good luck with the release! I got so distracted by thinking about embarrassment that I forgot!
My biggest pressure right now is getting an actual job so I can get away from Target. I just graduated and it seems like around here there are just no job opening at all. And although Target gives a little more than minimum wage, I really don’t want to be stuck in retail forever. Plus, I have to start repaying my school loans in December, so that’ll just add to the pressure.
My biggest pressure is keeping it all together. I’m an at home mom so I’ve taken on almost all of the household/family stuff like finances, errands, schedule apts., running the kids everywhere they need to be, etc. I’m always afraid I’ll forget something important, like paying the electric bill or what time I’m supposed to pick up my 8yr old from gymnastics.
What an amazing post! Try not to worry Stacia, and remember that you’re NOT a hack!
The pressure that scares me the most? My job. The pressure to meet all of my deadlines, coach my team, not piss off our customers, and not get anyone (including me) fired! Whew!
Since both my children are grown and have grown into adults I am proud of I no longer scared of raising them right. I am scared of not making a correct decision when it comes to the medical decisions we need to make with my husband. Just because the doctor says you should do something,all that means is now you need to make the decision on either following his directions or finding another doctor who will have a better idea.
The pressure that scares me the most? Raising my kids as a single parent (I’m a widow). I’m afraid that I can’t fill the void of a lost parent. They miss out on some things because I’m a Mom not a Dad. I suppose that my basic fear is that my very best is not good enough for them.
Paying the bills. I went from gainfully employed last year to underemployed this year. Meeting all the bills is tough, and hiccup….oops, there goes my bloodpressure. And on top of that, Stacia kindly tossed in the “performance” issue of writing.
Does anyone have a valium?
“and hiccup” What? I meant to say, “…and one little hiccup financially…”
I blame the stress. Yeah, that’s the ticket.
Hi STacia, your wit and humor that you exude with every 140 keystrokes is fantastic. We know that when given free reign that your books will be filled with the same and much much more…. Tues will be fine so leave the stress behind….
My biggest stress is time. Getting to appointments on time, getting things done on time. No matter how well I plan, start early, something always happens to get me late. Since I’m such a Type A person it makes me sick to my stomache when it happens.
My biggest fear is not succeding in my job, school & life. On the short term, it’s getting ready to buy a new house & whether or not we can get rid of our current house and get enough to buy the new one.
My biggest pressure is getting the balance between work, family and time for me right. Work always seems to be hectic and I’m terrible at the no word.
I’m a single parent of a 14 year old girl, that’s a pressure all of it’s own and my dad passed away 18 months ago and I need to spend as much time with my mum as possible. Just got to keep juggling those balls!
I think you hit upon every one of my fears. I want to expose my writing for “fun and profit” but I’m afraid that if I do, somehow I’ll be selling out my characters that have been with me so long.
Is that what you feel? It’s like sending kids off to college to go be their own person. I’m terrified of people, I’m wary of any sort of fame, and well…I just enjoy making stuff up. Y’know?
http://twitter.com/shadowsinstone
Stacia, you pretty much described what scares me most (should I ever get a novel published) and that’s the fear that I might not be able to perform to the same level over and over. You know, the “maybe there’s only one decent story in me” fear?
Looking forward to reading your new books!
The biggest stress for me is having a single income and trying to provide the best education for my kids. And among other things they need and want. Want not as in spoiled rotten…get everything they want. Want as in once in awhile things like go see a movie or bowling.
I offered to write a guest post for someone else’s blog while he’s away. He asked for volunteers and I thought what fun. Now of course i’m terrified my post won’t be good enough. I’ve re written it three times and i’ve no idea when I am supposed to post it yet. lol. I’m fine on unbound because it’s mine, but writing something for someone else brought unexpected pressure.
I’d love to get hold of a copy of this book , I loved Personal Demons.
I’m with many other comments here. My biggest pressure is money. Making ends meet. Going from employment to unemployment has been difficult. I do enjoy writing though, it’s kind of a release. Will it ever be good enough for others? That’s the million dollar question.
Stacie, congrats on the new release! As long as you’re happy, everything else will be fine!
Dottie
Wow! So many of you have actual, serious worries, you make me feel like a shallow, ungrateful little snot.
No, seriously. Those of you worried about child issues…maybe it’s just me, but I think the fact that you worry about that, and list it as your main worry, shows how unfounded it is, do you know what I mean? I think it’s impossible for someone who prioritizes their children like that to do a bad job. SeriouslyKooky, Lizzielvr, Quill, Angela, Beth…I’m sure your kids know how much you care, and I’m sure they appreciate it. Sometimes I think that’s the most important thing of all, is just that they know.
Brooke, you’re going to do great at university, I know it! And yes, lol, you are one of the terrifying ones.
Oh, Melodye, I know just what you mean! That’s a big one for me as well.
Yep, Melissa, I know that one too. My husband is currently starting a business, and until it starts making money I’m it. It’s terrifying.
Cat, it seriously makes me want to hide. Being a losery hack is one thing, but having everyone know it? *shudder*
I’m glad UNHOLY GHOSTS has you curious! There’s an excerpt and stuff on my website, if you care to take a look:http://www.staciakane.net/books/unholy-ghosts/
Oh, Megan, I know. And it’s funny, isn’t it, because some types of embarrassment don’t bother me. I’m not afraid to look silly in public, for example. But looking stupid? Ugh. Or, um, airing my insecurities? This post was a challenge for me, to see if I’d have the guts to actually admit that fear.
Good luck, Sara! I’m sure you’ll find something great. Oh, um…how big is your discount?
No, seriously, I’m sure there’s something out there. I’ve worked retail, I know how soul-deadening it can be.
Yep, Chandra, I’ve been a stay-home Mom since Jan 2001–well, I wasn’t quite a mom yet, I was pregnant, and left my bartending job because being a pregnant bartender was very difficult.
But yeah, trying to keep on top of everything, making sure everything is in place, the cleaning and cooking and laundry and errands and bills and everything? Yeah, I know. It’s a much harder job than people give credit for but I think it’s so important and worth it!
Thank you so much, Alexia! Oh, gosh, yeah, the pressure of people depending on you? Not just family but co-workers? Yep. I worry about my agent. I want to send him stuff to sell. His living depends on me, you know? (I mean, yeah, he’s got other clients, but still.)
Oh, Chris, I do know that one. Thankfully not really personally, but my stepfather is on the transplant list; luckily my mom is an RN so can make *more* informed decisions, but it’s very difficult. I hope you find the help and information you need, and I’m sure you’ll make the best possible decisions.
Tom, if you get Valium, will you send me one?
I’m sure things will improve for you. You’re too awesome for them not to.
Thanks, Hockeyvampiress, I really appreciate it. You know, you guys on Twitter and my blog and all that have no idea how much you all mean to me, seriously.
Ugh, Jody, yes! I hate being late for things and being rushed. My husband is not a prompt man; it drives me nuts.
Isn’t it awful, how much more smoothly our lies would go if everyone else would just get out of our damned way? 
And you know what the problem is, Heather? Is that our definitions of success keep changing. I used to think if I sold a book I’d be a success. Then I thought if I managed over 8k paperbacks sold I’d be a success. Now I think maybe I’ll be a success if I hit a bestseller list, but I’m pretty sure that’s not the case. I’ll be a success when I’m Neil Gaiman, lol.
Good luck on the house!
Yep, Carrie, I know exactly what you mean. But then, days like yesterday and today, when people actually respond to what I have to say, and seem to have genuinely enjoyed my work… I have to admit, as scary as it is it’s also great. (Until I step away from it and become terrified you’ll all hate DEMON INSIDE, anyway.) But we just have to keep going as best as we can, sigh.
YES, Written! That’s it! The “I only have one good book in me” fear. I’m still convinced nothing will ever top UNHOLY GHOSTS, for example, even though my editors and betas all swear the next two books in the series are even better. What if I never do anything new or original again? ACK! *hides*
Thanks so much, Hagelrat! I’m sure your guest post is great! We always think our stuff is worse than it is, apparently. I do think it’s because it never matches up on paper to what’s in our heads, sigh.
Thanks, Dottie! Yes, money, ugh. And it always seems like as soon as we get our heads above water another big wave comes along, too. And whether or not the work is good enough for others IS a huge question, but what’s really important is that you love doing it.
My greatest anxiety is just getting things done! There is always so much to do and the universe has a way of throwing road blocks in your way. Also, there is a lot of distractions that you just can’t resist indulging…
Jess S.
My greatest pressure is worrying about my family, and to change things in how i live my life would affect them.
Pressure, there are so many different kinds all of which seem to be feeding off of each other. There is pressure of raising kids and eveything that is involved in it. I feel that with the million of questions that she asks, and I wonder if I’m giving her the write answers. And as a writer who isn’t published there are more. I feel weighed down. I haven’t tried to get my book published. It’s not ready, I’m not ready, and if I were I’m not sure where to start. I tell myself it’s about getting it on paper first, but there’s that nagging feeling that I’m wasting my time. Which leads to anxiety that what I’m writing will never be able to compete with what’s already out there, and if it does get out there, is it merely so other writers will have a solid example of what not to do. I can hear the mocking already. But still I write, and I feel a pressure to do so. The story is in my head, cornering me, and begging for release, not just by bed time stories I tell at night. It wants a more graphic release than what I can tell a child. It doesn’t want to be edited, it wants to be heard, and that brings in more heaps of pressure which always has me wondering if I have a mountain sitting on top of me.
my job, raising my kiddos right, and just life in general.
Silly but it’s my upcoming wedding next year. There is soooo much to do, and a year seems like a long time but you have to book a year in advance to get the best people. From the location, to the food, to the photographers, to the makeup artist…the list goes on. And then I want to look good in my dress so it’s off to the gym to lose that extra 20 pounds.
Great post!
Pressure that scares me the most? Dealing with conflicting opinions when it comes to critiques of my work. Sometimes, I feel like I’m being pulled in different directions.
I am afraid at failing miserably at being a parent. I try so hard and I won’t know how good a job I have done for years to come. Parenting is scary work.
Money is my biggest pressure as well. Having it, making it, having enough, etc. This book sounds really good and I’d love to be entered to win it!
I’m always looking for something new and interesting to read and this definitely fits the bill!
Hi, this book sounds great! Thanks for entering me!
This is a common responce, but I have to say the pressure of raising my kids right. That includes the pressure of staying up to date with times. I am not old by any means, but I do worry that by the time my sweeties are teens (12+years) the pressures they have to deal with will be horrible. Even now, things like new drugs, gangs, internet and body image are different than when I was growing up. I don’t want to loose touch with the pressures they will deal with.
The pressure that scares me the most is getting to the end of my alloted time, and thinking I didn’t use it well enough.
thoughtful blogpost!
Pressure- It used to be not raising my children the way I was raised, (I change up things a little, not enough though).
Now my pressure is this. I work with children and I’m always aware of how much children can be affected for a long time by the behaviour, words, sarcasm and attitude of adults around them. Scares the sh-t our of me sometimes.
For Stacia, OMG I think I’m going to like your new series. I like Personal Demons, but I think I’m going to like Unholy Ghosts even more. Don’t worry, you’re a good writer, and the fact that you can come up with two totally different stories is a plus! Not every series you write has to be similar. Looking forward to BOTH your new books.
Lol, Jess, tell me about distractions. When things are going slowly for me I bake. A lot. Or I become stupidly obsessed with scrubbing my tub every other minute, or whatever. Very odd behavior.
It is really hard, isn’t it John, to have that responsibility? It’s not just you anymore. Ugh.
Sue, if writing is something you enjoy doing, keep doing it. Don’t worry about anything else. That will come later. For now just try to enjoy yourself, really. Good luck!
Yep, Pam, everything is pressure, isn’t it? Sigh.
That’s not silly, Beatrice! The week before my wedding I was a total wreck. I’d had panic attacks about it for the year leading up but that last week was awful. I mean, it was good and exciting, but I cried at the drop of a hat too. You’ll get through it, though, I swear.
Thanks Pamela! You just need to go with your gut, on that stuff. If it comes down to it set the wip aside for a while and come back several weeks later, and see how you feel then.
Yep, Breia, it is. But like I said before, I really do think that if that’s your biggest concern you’re probably doing a much better job than you think.
Thanks Rachael! Yeah, it would be nice to not have to worry about money anymore, wouldn’t it? Sigh.
Thanks Jessica!
Elie, see my reply to Breia.
I’m sure you’re a great parent.
Oooh, Maya, that’s a good one. Having regrets at the end of it all is a terrifying prospect.
Oh, Mardel, I know what you mean. You never get over some f the things you hear as a child, or some things that were said to you and how they made you feel. Especially from a parent.
Thanks so much! I’m really excited about Unholy Ghosts and that series!
My biggest concern is getting through pharmacy school and being a competent pharmacist by the time I graduate! *bites nails* It’s getting close…
Congrats on the release!
My biggest pressure currently is trying to balance the time available in each day with the jobs needing to be done and of course balance bills vs available money.
Enjoyed your post, I think most everyone second and third guesses themselves. I believe that’s how people learn to make improvements.
I can’t honestly say I have one big fear, not just one comes to mind. I have many fears that haunt me on a pretty regular bases. So it’s pretty much take your pick for that day: Did I write the code secure enough for the new website project launch? Am I doing what a good mother should? Did I say what I wanted to convey in my last book review? And the list could go on. I’m a worry wart.
For me, pressure is fear, and I fear so many things right now that I don’t have psychological strength to share them with you right now. But pressure, I can has.
Oooh, congrats on the impending graduation, Ashley! My brother is a pharmacist! I think if you’ve come this far with that schooling, you can definitely make it to the finish line.
Thanks Donna! Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just add an extra few hours to each day? And use them to sleep, so we could get stuff done with the regular hours.
Thanks Fantasy Dreamer Donna! That’s such a great way to look at it. As opposed to mine, which is to curl up into a ball and howl.
And oh, yes, I hear you on the worry-warting. Some days it seems like every minute brings a new worry. Sigh.
Sorry things are so tough right now, Tez. Hope it gets better soon!
Excellent post Stacia! I think your pressure sitch is just as valid as anyones.
I have to throw my hat in with those who share the child related pressures. I’m pregnant with my second child and have really been feeling the pressure to be the supermommy coming on. It’s somewhat self-imposed and I have to remind myself of that but that doesn’t make it any less frightening. I find myself feeling quilty for telling child #1 that I’m too tired to go out to the park or that I reeeeally need him to be quiet for a while so I can focus on my “work” (I review). Sometimes I do need the reminder that it is okay to rest or ask for the quiet even if I feel like a bad mom for putting my needs first.
Hi
Thanks for sharing that excellent blog post.
I had no idea that the publishing part of writing was so slow. Three books and only PERSONAL DEMONS is currently available. Wow.
I, for one, am eager to read all your books.
I think the more we write the better we get at it.
I empathize with your performance anxiety.
The pressure that scares me most is that I will not fulfill my dream of being published. My children are old enough now that the pressure of screwing up my parenting, which would screw them up, is over: They are there own unique beings and I can only nudge them now and then.
Love and best wishes from Northern Ontario
twitter.com/RKCharron
xoxo
The pressure that wakes me up in the middle of the night comes from the fear that I’m going to fail my children. I’m terrified that I’m going to (have already) do something that’s going to damage them for life.
Hell, they already have a fear of zombies. But some people might think that’s a very healthy thing …
Sounds like an interesting read! Count me in!
fear, yeah … got that. mine comes in the form of: why are you writing – just imagine the story in your head and be happy with your secrets. putting them on paper only means someone might read them … !!! could anyone care for the characters in my head the way I do – could anyone actually like my writing ? EENNHH !!! just read the pretty blogs, tell people you will one day finish your first draft (you know the one – it’s been in various stages of ‘unfinish’ for y e a r s …) and be satisfied people occasionally compliment you on those ridiculous snippets you foolishly gather the courage to post !
ah, I feel better now … sigh …
biggest pressure, is just the pressure of letting down the people that are counting on me…whether it is emotional or financial support.
Sounds like a great read. sign me up
Hi Stacia~
Looking forward to Demon Inside.
The pressure that scares me the most is raising my children to be healthy, happy, and productive people.
The pressure that scares me most is being oncall for the ICU. I just got off maternity leave and now all of the sudden I’m not an intern anymore! I survived my first call with no incidents though!!
Firstly, this was an excellent post. It’s nice to know that even the best writers have the most human of fears. I have many fears (failure, humiliation, sharks, etc.) but the one that resonates most strongly for me is the fear of letting my parents down. This probably sounds very trite, because I know that it doesn’t matter to them what I do so long as I’m happy doing it. However, I want them to be proud of me, so I worry about it almost endlessly.
Great post, thanks Stacia.
At the moment my biggest fear is that I will never be able to bring the stories and characters in my head on to the page properly. With my current WIP, everytime I think I’ve gotten a little closer to writing what I see in my head, my CP sends me back my first three chapters with tons of comments and things that aren’t working for her. Talk about depressing;D.
Hopefully reading posts like yours will help me overcome the demons on my shoulders, so that one day I will be able to write the story as I see it.
Thanks Rhianna! I remember that fear well, when I was pregnant with my second. I had horrible morning sickness for the first sixteen weeks and was basically useless to my firstborn. But it has indeed all been okay; the two girls are crazy about each other and play all the time! You’ll be fine, I swear!
Thanks Rob! Oh, yes, it’s very slow. I actually have, not counting DEMON INSIDE, four books currently waiting for release.
Thanks! I’m always afraid I’m getting worse as time goes on, lol.
Ha, Katee, I think being afraid of zombies is pretty good! And I wouldn’t worry. I’m sure you’re doing just fine!
Ha, Ban, yep, I know just what you mean. It’s all in fun until you actually have to give the thing over and let everyone see it!
Thanks Heather! Yep, fear of letting people down can be terrible, can’t it? Sigh.
Thanks Lori! Yes, everything about being a parent is very scary indeed. I’m glad I’m not the only one!
Oh, Celeste, I can imagine! But I’m sure you’ll be fine. Just relax and let your instincts and knowledge take over.
Thanks Warrick! Yes, that’s a big fear. I don’t worry so much about my parents but I do know how it feels.
Yep, Tina, again, I know that fear well. Just keep plugging, is all I can say. It may never match what’s in your head but it can very well come close. Thanks!
Sounds like an interesting read! Count me in!
The pressure that scares me the most is being a failure at life. I’m always concerned that I’m not where I should be academically, professionally or personally. I worry that I will never achieve anything. I always feel like I need to do better.
The kind of pressure that scares me most is when the novel is complete and now it’s time to let someone–anyone other than me–read it. Will they like it? Or will they tear apart the thing I worked months on? Will they crumble my dreams–along with the world and characters I created–with just a few words?
The pressure…? Fear. Will they like it? I’m feeling that fear now. The best way to get over it? Work on the next project.
Off to write!
The pressure that scares me the most is public speaking or socializing in a large group.
Thanks Carrie!
Dancechica, I know that feeling well. I just try to remember that life goes on and we just keep moving forward.
Ha, LisaB, I know exactly what you mean!!
Well, Crystal, I’m lucky in that I’m not afraid of that one. Well, socializing in large groups makes me nervous, but public speaking really doesn’t bother me.
[...] « Dame for a Day: Stacia Kane [...]
Dame Stacia,
I just wanted to tell you that I really appreciated your post. I’m not published yet, but I empathize with many of the pressure feelings you describe. The doubts speak loudly, and are hard to subdue at times. Good luck with your newest! Congratulations to you!