Blake Powell Talks You Out of Your Fear as a Writer
Balaka: Thank you for being the castle of ideas for the shaky, iffy, nail-biting, frozen-brain writers of the world. When I first struck upon your Bulletproof Writers Facebook Page, I was so relieved! Your book, “Bulletproof Writers’ Handbook — A Proven Guide to Conquer the Blank Page Forever” has been a HUGE help for me.
Writers like myself have gathered some awesome tips and encouragement, that’s the best part. We all felt so important in our chipping in with our thoughts with you. I felt, at least there was one writer out there in the world who had the time to listen and offer feedback. You’re out there to help us walk towards our dream destination. You’ve helped many writers in their “emerging” or “Rip Van Winkle Slumber” days. We either found our calling, or we found more momentum treading through the phases of fear and hesitation.
But that’s from our end. How have you been benefited by this goodness? Spreading the vibes must have filled some hole in your life, too. Right?
Blake:Now that I have people reading my stuff, I get to share my work with others and that’s been the best part of my journey. Nothing makes me happier than knowing I’ve touched someone’s life by getting that email or response from a reader who is so thankful for my work. Knowing my work makes a difference helps keep me going when the times get hard, and it’s really helped my believe in myself and my talents as a writer.
I remember the moment when I finally gave myself the permission to call myself a writer. For so long I had denied myself that title and allowing myself to write and let my thoughts flow then was so freeing. Before people started reading my stuff, though, I still felt so alone and like my thoughts didn’t matter. BlakeOne thing that comes to mind is my time spent in elementary school with two of my best friends. One of them was short and the other had a walking disability, so they tended to get singled out or made fun of a lot. I remember the looks they got and the jokes that were made of them, and it made me so furious. Even though everyone told me not to hang out with them, I didn’t listen to them, and I remember just being around them and able to stand with them was a great feeling. One time in particular some kids picked a fight with us and I refused to back down, and I remember how awesome it felt to stand with them and to hold our ground together as a team. : Thank you. I appreciate that because I definitely write with a certain idea of a person in mind.
Balaka: Yes, I can feel that in your online presence for everyone else to see. Your entire persona speaks of benevolence. Your words don’t sound staged for the marketable SEO. No matter how carefully crafted your voice may be, it comes out as completely natural. And it is, 100% of the way. Something tells me you’ve been this way since you learned to walk and talk. Can you share a childhood memory of being valued as a helpful friend?
Balaka: That’s a great story with an amazing spirit. Thank you for sharing, Blake. Even as an empathetic adult, is there anything outside your writing sphere that influences your attitude towards being a writer and being able to support others? Any person, or habit, or major incident that left an indelible mark?
Blake: and laziness are all different masks of fear. Most of what stops writers from doing their work comes down to their expectations of what the work should feel like, rather than doing the work and experiencing the feelings that come naturally in the process. That being said, different writers respond to different strategies. Readers who resonate with other writers won’t necessarily respond to my message and vice versa. So it’s up to us as writers to craft our messages to our tribes because only we can make it. For me, there Blake: I’m guilty of this too. I find what helps for me is having multiple projects on the go because I can switch between them if one of them feels like it needs time to marinate or to sit for a while. However, if one project needs to be done and has priority over the others, setting a clear deadline with milestones along the way helps to keep me focused on completing it without it feeling like a chore. BlakeThe best way to find these writers though is from word of mouth or in-person connections like conferences or writer groups. Books can also be very powerful in this regard. Surprisingly, a lot of my audience is over 50 years old as many of them are reading blogs to find inspiration for their writing lives, so you never know. : The truth is we live in a society where technology is creeping into many aspects of our lives. So I direct my focus to where I can reach the most people at any given time, and that’s usually on the internet. BlakeMy aim with the book and blog is to provide advice which puts back control in the hands of those who read it. Ultimately, it’s up to them to suit it to their needs. I don’t push with hard-n-fast rules like “write every single day” or “must publish at regular intervals”. I believe these can create too much pressure on a new writer and squish their joy and hope around writing.
ou can also find me on Medium http://www.medium.com/@blakepowell
and my Facebook group, Bulletproof Writers (same name as my website). Anybody with a specific question or too shy to post in a Facebook group? Just shoot me an email at blake@bulletproofwriters.com. : Right now, I’m working on a book which will focus on helping writers hone their craft and dispel some of the misleading advice that writers receive on a regular basis. Advice that could even be potentially harmful for a very hesitant writer. I’m currently developing an online course as well which will be released in the coming months. You can find out more about it by downloading my free ebook by visiting my website http://www.bulletproofwriters.com. You can easily reach me through my blog on this website. is only one thing preventing writers from doing their work. Everything that stops us from writing all boils down to fear. Procrastination, perfectionism
Blake: Yes, definitely. Some of the most influential people in my life right now are in my mastermind group, and they help keep me on task and stay positive. Whenever I’m feeling down or discouraged, they help lift me up and remind me of how powerful my message is. We meet every week and we have really powerful conservations. When you’re going it alone it can be easy to forget your power, so having someone to remind you of your capabilities is incredibly helpful.
Balaka: So true! Your tribe doesn’t let you sink your performance. Now, coming back to writing, I’m sure you see two kinds of unproductive writers ( or do you see more types?) — I see the lazy ones and the fearful ones. They’d need two completely different strategies, won’t they? Or do you see some kind of a convergence in their reason for non-productivity?
Balaka: I, myself , for instance — I’m bursting with ideas and feeling excited like a child but too impatient or distracted to actually finish a manuscript and do the grind of sending them out to publishers. Much like a child in a butterfly garden! It’s a disease that I love to term as “completion syndrome”. How would you correct this incorrigible me?
Balaka: Do you ever feel that there are people out there who could benefit from your inspirations, yet they’re the ones who do not use the internet or even if they do, they’re reluctant to explore any of the top-of-the-line gadgets to increase productivity. Are you also trying to reach out to these writers? How would you ask them to come at par with the modern demands of writing?
Balaka: That’s great. Tell us about all your current projects and how to reach out to your guidance. Tell us about your websites, ebooks, hardcopy books, facebook page links etc. — every way they can reach you and get access to your stuff.
Balaka: I remember the time when I was looking out for like-minded people on the net. I was googling around or hunting f
or writing folks on Facebook. That’s where I chanced upon Bulletproof Writers. Your positive vibes made me feel hopeful and welcome into the group. That was the doorway that opened up other avenues for me.
Your group gives all writers a platform to seek advice, form bonds with other aspiring writers, and simply hangout, sharing their creative energy.
So, I’d encourage everyone to visit Bulletproof Writers to find more writer friends and a great flow of resources, including Blake’s own freebies.
Thank you, Blake, for taking the time in your busy schedule. We wish you the best in your journey of your inspiration as you continue to inspire others. We’ll look forward to some great things from you in future.
Following the advice on your table, we’ll continue and get better at day dreaming. And taking some cute inspiration from your adorable furry friend, we’ll surely add some supercharging cat naps to that plan.
Originally published at https://thegreenwriter.com on June 23, 2020.