I'm slap bang in the middle of line edits for THE DARK LIGHT. I have to say it's a total blast, but hard, hard work. One thing I hadn't expected was the sense of nervousness that's slowly creeping up on me as I pass through the manuscript. There may be a few more tweaks, there'll be copy edits, and then... That's it. The words that go down now are pretty much THE words that will eventually pass before readers' eyes. Holy crap.
Writers often talk about the nuts and bolts of writing--pacing, plotting, characterization, and grammar. But there's a huge pyschological side to writing that is equally important--writers' block and fear of failure, confidence crashes, the trepidation of sending a manuscript into the world. These are the things that mess with your head.
So how do you overcome stage fright? I don't think you do. With all things writing, you can only take it head on and see where it leads. So, I'm just going to forge ahead, think only of the moment, and try not to puke. Wish me luck.
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