First-Time Novelists: Dealing with Fear

Many first-time novelists share a similar fear: “What will people think?”

It looks slightly different for each writer. What will my parents think when they find out I have these thoughts? What will my friends think when they discover I’m not always as caring as they might have believed? What will my children think when they find out I had sex before I got married?

Becoming a first-time novelist is like diving into cold water. It’s a shock, but you adjust. In fact, this is true of anything worth doing in life. Become a first-time novelist, or don’t.

The choice isn’t really about writing . . . becoming a novelist is about choosing to live your life.

Please share your thoughts on this.