1. You’re not even sure you like it. How do you know anyone else will?

2. You’ve never done it before! You don’t know what to expect! Which is TOTALLY NORMAL! You got this!

3. You don’t want your friends/family to see it. (:

4. You’re worried it’s not going to be “as good as” (insert writer you admire here)’s work.

5. You’re still learning how to handle constructive criticism. Or … straight-up criticism.

6. You don’t feel like your work is “ready” yet. Even if you’re not sure what “ready” exactly means.

7. You don’t want to have put a ton of work into something no one ends up reading.

8. You don’t want the universe to hate it.

9. You’re actually a little concerned that your work isn’t bad at all … and that terrifies you.

10. You’re still getting used to this. You’re a little nervous. A little shy. But you’ll get the hang of it. Mostly.

Meg is the creator of Novelty Revisions, dedicated to helping writers put their ideas into words. She is an editor and writer, and a 12-time NaNoWriMo winner. Follow Meg on Twitter for tweets about writing, food, and Star Wars.

Help Novelty Revisions become a more valuable resource for aspiring writers.  Join us on Patreon.