“One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do.”
― Henry Ford
The question we generally don’t bother to ask ourselves is, what are we really afraid of? What scares us more than anything else? And what do we think will happen if the worst possible thing happens?
Is the worst possible thing that no one will like your story? Will they want you to change it? Could that be construed as editing?
Possibly. But not likely. Some one will like your story. Even if it’s only your mom. Moms are good coaches, who cheer us on in spite of how we sabotage ourselves.
We sabotage ourselves every day with self-doubt, useless judgements and by falling prey to the opinions of others. As writers we know there will always be opportunities for others to criticize our work. There will always be people who don’t like what you write. There will always be those who do not agree with your opinion. And that is why ice cream comes in more flavors than just vanilla.
Since I don’t really know what you’re afraid of, much less what I’m afraid of, I suggest you do what I’m trying. just keep writing.
To move forward in the face of fear is courageous.