I'm new & need advice (I wasn't sure where to post, I'm sorry if this is the wrong place.)

[Ollie]

I was diagnosed with severe anxiety a few years ago and so I figured my anxiety with writing was just a part of that? I used to be able to write so well but now when I try to write my mind goes blank. I feel like if I write it won't be good enough, I'll have done something wrong (even if I cannot see anything wrong with my writing) or I'll just get irrational anxiety about turning it in (I always feel like everyone who reads my writing will laugh at it because I write like a child.) multiple people have just told me I'm just not trying hard enough but that can't possibly be true because I try my absolute hardest, my anxiety just always gets the best of me. I don't know if this will bring much as I've tried speaking to multiple people about it already but I'm so tired of dealing with this. I'll be going into high school next year and I barely got through 8th grade with writing.

Ollie x

 

[janemariesayed]

Hello Ollie and a very warm welcome to the forum. Your post is in the right place so don't worry. Thanks for introducing yourself and being open about how you feel. You are very welcome to post on any of our forums and join in with all of us we would love to meet you there.

When you feel anxious take a deep breath and know that others are feeling the same. They may not admit it but meeting a whole load of new people is nerve-racking. Throw yourself into something that you enjoy doing as a pastime and join a group that does it. You will meet like-minded people with the same interests and know where you are coming from.

 

[Jeffrey Brouillette]

Ollie, as a person who's walked in your shoes so to speak. I would recommend you find nice people to hang around with at school. Open up to them. They will appreciate that. And I gaurantee they are likely feeling some of the same anxieties you are. I did, and never realized how many also were feeling that way.

 

[Kaynil]

I think you are having writer's block because you are afraid of failing. Of not being good enough. Anything that gets us closer to see the outcome is scary so our mind protects ourselves by delaying that moment. Like you said, you can have your best intentions to go through but the mind goes blank.

What helped me was to realise that 'failing' was not something like the end. We're so used to hear that either you fail or you make it, but in reality, it keeps going and it is usually unavoidable. We will start making mistakes, and it is fine. The moment pass and you learn from them.

It is hard but we have to learn to detach ourselves from our creations. We get really involved and feel like a personal attack anything. We feel that if it fails we fail, but that link is in our heads. If my work is not a success doesn't mean I am a failure, it just means I need to polish my skills more and keep on pushing so I can be better. So we gotta accept it, that we are going to have our dorky moments. Once you stop fearing failure it will become easier. You can lose fear by exposition, so show to yourself that the world keeps on moving and hold onto your victories.

You keep telling your brain of the times you have performed well, on what you have learned, on the proofreading before turning it. And keep realising how usually those fears were really off the mark.

It is not smooth sailing, but I think getting familiar with failing and seeing is not the big deal you thought it'd be, it will make it easier to keep moving. So, just start writing. Write dumb stuff to warm up if you're nervous. For example, think of a word or look around for a random object, title, etc and google an image of it to make a small story or make an acrostic poem with it. Whatever kind of writing you enjoy. Anything to ease you.

The last tip would be to read, reading might motivate you and help you come familiar with techniques on how to start paragraphs. Even if you don't know by names. Starting out we might have the idea but find difficult how to start and move our way to introduce it. The more we read the more we absorb things like that that help us come up with something to type. Best of luck with your writing, whether for yourself or for school.