Living with Fear and Joy

According to Ralph Keyes in The Courage To Write, Wendell Berry wrote: I am discomforted by the knowledge that I don’t know how to write the books I have not yet written. But that discomfort has an excitement about it, and it is the necessary antecedent of one of the best kinds of happiness.

This captures an oddity of writing, the dichotomy of fear, excitement and joy. Excitement comes with the inspiration of the new idea. It’s quickly followed by fear: Can I write this story? Can I finish it? Does it work? Hopefully joy follows, in the deep happiness of settling into the story, into the writing.

Perhaps there is no balance here, no being at ease with it. Perhaps what is required is to live on the edge of discomfort.

Maureen