Fear of Rejection Leaves Book Undone

Daily writing prompt

Something on your “to-do list” that never gets done.

View all responses

My students used to tell me that they would buy my book when I finally wrote it. They had listened to my stories of survival from domestic violence and poverty over many Sociology courses that I taught at various universities and colleges. They always said, “Professor, you ought to write a book.” I must have three or four folders with the beginning chapters in them, but I never finished it. The title was to be Help from Heaven: The Love of God in My Life.

I believe part of the problem is my fear that, in writing about having survived violent men in my life or coming out of poverty, the book would be rejected because people would question my belief that if it had not been for the blessings of the Lord, I would be dead. They would ask if I believed that women who didn’t survive or people still in poverty are not blessed by God as well. And that is not what I mean to say. I don’t want to appear special or that some people are more deserving than others. It’s a real conundrum!

I also wonder with all the memoirs on the market, if I have anything new to add that people would want to read? Is my story really that unusual? So, even though I keep promising people that I will write the book, the folders are still in my desk, collecting dust.

Copyright ©
All posts on my blog, Help From Heaven, are my intellectual property protected by copyright. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express written permission from the author and/or owner of this blog is strictly prohibited.