Barbara Ann Elder

You remember the spine-tingling fear, don’t you?

Your body trembling, heart pounding, breath coming in chopped gasps, as you leap out of bed and head for your parents’ soft, safe, welcoming nest. Only then do you dare whisper…

There’s a monster under my bed!

Back then your terror was soothed by your mom’s hugs and reassuring promises of no more monsters.

But today, as you stare in panic at the blank page, by gosh and by golly, the hairy, howling beast is back again!

Not You Again!

He’s here this time because you’re about to take a gigantic leap of faith and throw yourself at the mercy of an anonymous and super-critical public, who are about to read your book.

Gone is your confident exhale and triumphant flourish of your closing paragraph.

Instead, you feel thrust back to your childhood self, where panic and terror course through your veins, and you are convinced this is it. 

You’re done. 

For good.

FEAR Can Be a Good Thing

I recall a powerful motivational speaker telling us that the acronym, FEAR, has two polar opposite connotations, and how we choose to consider the term essentially defines us.

And so, we can either interpret FEAR as Forget Everything and Run, or we can be inspired by FEAR to Face Everything and Rise!

It is this latter interpretation that you must embrace if you are to achieve your dream of becoming a best-selling children’s author and fulfil your promise to yourself to make a positive impact on a child’s life.

When Your Head Gets in the Way

There’s no doubt that taking the plunge and publishing your children’s book brings with it untold rewards. These include:

• Catapulting your writing career
• Enshrining you as an authority on the themes explored in your book
• Boosting your confidence and self-esteem
• Motivating you to continue creating stories that delight and inspire

But, as we all know, doubt and second-guessing pop up with fast and furious persistence, as the hairy monster hisses menacingly in your ear: 

• Who am I fooling? Am I really good enough?
• What if I’m mocked and scorned?
• Worse yet … what if even the kids hate my book?
• What if my social media is peppered with negative reviews and I’m reduced to a laughingstock?
• What if … What if … What if …?

Craft a Winning Strategy

This is where a calm, level-headed perspective must hold sway. Tap into your creativity and devise winning strategies for success. These may include:

• Forgetting about other people and what they may or may not think about you.
• Focusing instead on your message, your creative skills, and the joy of sharing your unique voice with your young readers
• Carving out a dedicated block of time each day – free from distractions – to devote to your craft
• Flipping over that debilitating I Can’t hesitancy to a confident and powerful I Can mindset
• Staying keenly focused on the bigger picture … your ultimate success!

There’s no doubt about it … Your most authentic, raw, and heartfelt writing is risky business. It bares your soul and threatens to expose your fragile vulnerability.

But it is precisely this unfettered soul that produces great works of art.

And we all want to create memorable stories, don’t we?

So … the answer is clear.

That squalid monster just has to go!

You CAN Do It!

First of all, focus on your WHY, your commitment to share your unique voice in a fun yet teachable way.

And consider all the rewards that will flow naturally from that determination.

Keep that resolve top of mind as you begin to engage the monster.

Then, stand tall and steady. 

Stay resolute and look it straight in the eye.

You know, a David and Goliath type of scenario. Might vs. Right.

 Now, grab your slingshot, focus your steely eyes, take aim …

And sock it to that monster once and for all!