When I was about 11 years old, I was perusing a Barnes and Noble in search of daring adventure, the sweetest romance, and the noblest quest. At the time, I knew I wanted to be an author one day, so I put in some preliminary work. However, I’d only ever read books of similar genre and audience — I stayed far away from horror, mystery, nonfiction, science fiction, and most classics. I sought books with female protagonists — ones where there was a semblance of a happy ending.

That day, I happened upon a pop-up stand advertising a new bestselling book series. It was written by a 12-year-old girl who looked just like me. I couldn’t believe it: this girl was already a published author and onto her second book all before high school. I remember reading it and feeling dejected and jealous rather than inspired. I was disappointed that I could not share my creativity with an audience who would listen, and I was mad at myself for not doing and being more. I think a lot of people feel that way. Now, 10 years later — attending university for writing — I have come to understand why I felt that way, and how it kept me from reaching my creative potential.

There are many reasons why we don’t finish our novels. We’ve all heard the trope of the person who can never seem to get around to their masterpiece, and those who can’t even start. This got me thinking: what is the difference between someone who makes writing their career, and those who can’t get off the ground? Is there a specific genome that programs some of us to succeed and others to fail? Or is it the events in one’s life that trigger the potential for one to create an extraordinary narrative?

It is both of those things and neither of those things. It all boils down to one emotional block that prevents you from actualizing your stories. Fear. Not only does fear keep us from what we want, it can even prevent us from recognizing that what we are feeling is fear. We are afraid that what we write will not be as good as the work we see in others. We are afraid that what we write will not be as good as what we could write one day. We are afraid that if we do put ourselves out there — even to ourselves — that we will not be good enough. So we figure we will wait until some outside force triggers the motivation we long for. Waiting for inspiration will not pay the bills. It’s not that we aren’t motivated, it is that fear is combating our efforts with excuses. We don’t want to be weak, so we try to mask and deny our fear — which only compounds the problem. The only way to move forward with your work is to isolate and become aware of the things holding you back and accept them.

If you want to finish that book before you die, it is time to kick it into high gear. You’ve lived long enough to understand enough of how things work to write dozens of stories. We limit ourselves in more ways than we realize, and although sometimes it takes an outside force to change us, sometimes we must act as a catalyst for our own change. Make a strong choice, and stick to it. Nobody is going to force you to fulfill your dreams, but life can seem to force you away from them.

People always mean to finish their books, but most can never seem to find the time. Jim can’t write down his ideas because his children demand his attention. Shannon can’t finish the third chapter of her tomb thriller because she doesn’t know enough about Egyptian Mythology. Emily can’t publish her poetry because she doesn’t think anyone will read it. What if we change the word “can’t” to “doesn’t.” When "doesn’t" replaces "can’t," suddenly we have potential for change. Jim doesn’t write down his ideas because his children demand his attention — by playing with his children, Jim is inspired to work with them to create new ideas. Shannon doesn’t know enough about Egyptian Mythology — so she rents movies, books, and documents to immerse herself in the world of her novel. Emily doesn’t publish her poetry because she doesn’t think anyone will read it — but she realizes that the quality of her work isn’t dependent on how many people like it. Just as the characters we write must change to overcome their adversity, we must change to allow them that.

So, how can I fight writers' block?

There are several specific things you can do to overcome procrastination and fear to become a successful author. It helps to read renowned novels from every genre. It is important not to limit yourself to what you think you like — because often you will find more paths open for you if you do not pre-label your book with limitations. A book can be about war, fantasy, science fiction, romance, mystery all at once; take George Lucas’s "Star Wars." The series resonated so deeply with the public because it is a narrative without genre restrictions. It explores social and personal relationships through inhuman ideas in a vast universe where any creative idea has legitimacy.

Read books for author purpose; not just books, but plays and movies too. Acting is simply the personification of writing, so watching someone interoperate a role is invaluable for your own character development. Know whether you are building your story around the plot or around the character. Pay close attention to how these skilled writers weave their narratives and the literary devices they use. What is effective and ineffective in the storytelling? What perspective and POV does the story take and how does it lend to the themes and plot? Don’t try to recreate these stories. Instead, you should use their structure to inspire your work. Ask critical questions to yourself and you’ll generate answers you’d never thought possible.

Utilize notebooks and feedback to bring your ideas to life. Train yourself to be diligent in your notetaking, and write down the fleeting ideas before they flit away. There is no easy answer to this — this takes grit. It is vital that you discover a system of operation that works for you. The weight of a half-baked story can be overwhelming, but if you sort out your ideas on paper you can visualize different ways in to stitch the story together.

Don’t try to impress yourself with your own eloquence

because this diminishes the truthfulness of the story you are telling. Now is the time for drafting. You don’t need to sound intelligent or spout philosophy, you just need to get your ideas out there. Find out what it is that you need to say, then find a way to say it. Make a basic structure for your story, a timeline, and possible characters. Your characters should be special to you, and ideally, they should inform you more than you inform them. It helps to imagine yourself as each character in their circumstance, and feel out how their reactions play out. Instead of forcing yourself to do this, try coaxing the ideas out of your subconscious by putting yourself in the story with your mind's eye as a passerby. It helps to read a play, then watch the same play performed. You should notice the organic nature in which the actor legitimizes the character’s actions.

Isolate what you are trying to accomplish. Set goals, big and small. Hold yourself accountable or find someone or something that will. Sketch out the arcs your characters go through and define the relationships between them and their world. Keep in mind the purpose of your writing and who you are writing for. If one of the themes in your work is murder, then perhaps your language and plot should reflect a more mature audience.

For example, you could make character profiles. One way to do this was devised by Robert Cohen, a professor of theater. Remember G.O.T.E: Goal, Obstacle (other), Tactics, and Expectation. Begin with the basic information about your character: name, sex, occupation, religion, orientation, race…and then begin to ask “what if” about your characters. Let’s use the name 'Harvey.' What does Harvey desire and how does it drive him? What prevents Harvey from reaching his goals? What methods does he use? How do other people see Harvey and how does he see them? Do we expect Harvey to succeed? Do we even want him to? What does it mean for the story if he doesn’t?

Keep a good pace and make a habit out of writing. There is no demand to expel all your ideas at once, but it is necessary to work overtime to create a cohesive story. It takes editing from not only yourself, but honest implementation of feedback from others that you trust with your writing. Keep a separate journal for each big idea, and don’t erase anything — who knows if it will be useful to you later on in the process. Always, always, always read your work aloud! Not only does this bring life to your diction, it helps you to process the sound of your work. Get lost in it, goof around with your character’s voices, and care about what you say.

Imagination is a tool for resistance and persistence. If you find yourself between a rock and a hard place, remember the five Ps to process: Practice, patience, pace, plan, and power. Put these together and you can create a fearless narrative.