I recently began tutoring a seventh grader in creative writing. I'm supposed to be teaching her how to properly structure sentences to make them irresistible to read. I'm supposed to be building her vocabulary while simultaneously inspiring her to persevere through the difficulties of conveying a message to the correct audience. But before I can get to that point, I decided to first talk to her about fear.

Fear is defined as "an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat." That is a horrible way to feel about something as necessary as writing, but so many people have had negative experiences with it in the past that fear of writing has become more and more common, even among adults. Whether it was a creativity-killing sixth-grade teacher or an intimidating favorite author, something is causing us to freeze while holding pen to paper (or finger to keyboard).

My point isn't that creativity is dead; it's just that it has become more difficult to write thoughts that we find are "worthy" of writing. As online publications make it easier for everyone to speak their mind, writers often find themselves at a loss for something to say that will positively affect their audience.

There isn't just one fear related to writing. You can be afraid of expressing unoriginal ideas, of being boring, of being underqualified for your subject. All these fears do, however, is hold us back from being original, exciting, and becoming experts on what we write about. It's important to keep in mind that it is possible to fear anything, which means it is possible to conquer a fear of anything.

If you're experiencing writer's block, don't just Google ways to get rid of it. Try to find the root of the problem--the fear that evidently causes your mind to freeze up. Confront the fear you're feeling, and ask yourself whether or not it benefits you to feel it. In most situations, it won't. Acknowledge that.

If you're scared of being unoriginal, write exactly what you feel, then look back through your work and delete every cliche you see. Boom, you just expressed yourself in a way no one else (probably) ever has. Words are cool like that.

If you're scared of being boring, be yourself. People are rarely boring; you have a complex mind and a sense of humor and a unique voice. Take advantage of it.

And if you're scared because you have no idea what you're talking about, learn. Believe it or not, our brains have the capability of harnessing like, a whole lot of information, so take advantage of the internet or maybe even a library and learn. Expertise will follow naturally.

This article is just a typed up version of a very inspired speech I gave to a 12-year-old, but it holds true for everyone who has ever struggled with writing. Humans came up with words for a reason, and that reason is to communicate. We have this amazing ability, and I hate to see it go to waste. Don't let words intimidate you. They're your friends, so spend some time with them.

This article was partially inspired by "On Writing Well" by William Zinsser. Thanks, William Zinsser.