- How terrible is it if I go get a chocolate milkshake from Sonic after my dentist appointment today?
- I truly feel I need to reward myself for doing this. It’s been 9ish years (don’t judge me) and I have super terrible anxiety with dentists and people being so close to my face and I’m really trying to stay calm today but it’s getting harder as the hours tick by.
- Why is starting a new book/story so hard?
- I know exactly where I want it to start, but actually getting it down and not hating it is proving to be a pain. Especially considering that I have this fancy new notebook for I Should’ve Eloped and I just wanted the first chapter to be handwritten, but I’ve already had to rip a page out because I hated the first sentence so much. Maybe I should type it out first until I’m mostly happy, then I can transcribe it? Hm.
- Am I ever going to finish this book I started reading?
- It was a free ARC from a publisher and I’m pretty sure the review was due last month. It’s not even a bad book. But it’s also not my favorite genre of book. I took it out of my purse and I keep forgetting to put it back. Oh well, I’m sure I can get through a good chunk while I sit in the waiting room at the dentist this afternoon.
- Why can’t people arrange work projects ahead of time, instead of springing them on an unsuspecting person all of a sudden? And then taking forever to respond to emails about it?
- Grumble grumble work problems.
- Why does time go by so fast when you’re not looking forward to something, but it goes sooo slow when you are excited about something?
- Did I mention my dental anxiety? Gahhhh.
Happy Monday, friends. I hope yours goes better than mine. I’ll share some news about my Camp novel tomorrow when I’m not pushing my luck with an ulcer. 🙂
The Caffeinated Writer 
I say reward yourself for facing down anxiety. Maybe brush your teeth or mouthwash again after the milkshake, if you feel bad about it.
And re #2… I know, right? I hate how hard starting is. I always feel like, if only I could start (and actually like the start) then the rest would just come pouring out. Not sure if that’s accurate, but the feeling is persistent.
Instead of a jumbo milkshake I just had half a small piece of mousse cake at Olive Garden. Go me!
Starting novels is the worsttttt. It’s the only reason I haven’t begun my camp novel early lol because I can’t freaking start it!
So get that milkshake! I had to bribe myself to go to the dentist with a milkshake recently (and now I have to go back for fillings 😯) Starting on a Word document works for me because I can at least work it out on paper later.
I knew I was gonna need fillings so one milkshake won’t change anything 😂.
I think I will just start it in a word doc. Can’t keep ripping pages out of my notebook.
1. Use a straw. 2. Good question. Free writing may help. A friend once suggested I write a poem about writer’s block (it’s the first post in my blog – lol). It did help. A little. 3. I’m still working at the same book I started months ago. It isn’t that good. I said I’d read it, so I’m trying to finish. I hate it. Maybe both of us should just toss ’em and read something we LIKE. 4. We all know, people are the same wherever we go. There is good and bad… in all of us… (sorry if you don’t recognize it, I’m old). 5. My daughter asked me the very same question today. All I can say is that it isn’t fair. Still, we get through it. Note: Notice I don’t have all the answers. Well, none of them… but hey, does it make you feel any better to know you aren’t alone? 😀
Thank you so much for this! ❤
I share your dental anxiety so I confess, I would need to pre-treat with meds beforehand. (((Hugs))) Hope it all went well.
It was not as terrible as I imagined it. But I’ve got several more before it’s all said and done. Good news though is thought I’d broken a tooth and I did not. So yay for that!
Thanks for the love ❤
Great questions, which I’m sorry but I couldn’t help answering. . .
1. You totally get to reward yourself for facing a lifelong phobia.
2. Fear of failure, I know it well. I hope you give yourself permission to write a terrible first drafts–it’s part of the process.
3.Yes you can, but DNF exists for a reason.
4.Because many supervisors care more about pleasing their own bosses than making reasonable decisions.
5.Sorry to hear about your dental anxiety. You are not alone.
Thank you for the answers! 🙂 For what it’s worth, I did reward myself, but not quite as bad as the jumbo milkshake I wanted. We just went to Olive Garden and got a chocolate mousse cake instead 😉
My first drafts are always terrible, ha! My NaNo from last year is finished but I’m afraid to finish reading it still. Sooo many plot holes!
Definitely not alone in the anxiety department with dentists, but the guy I saw yesterday was amazing. Even though they tortured me for 40 minutes lolol
#5 hit home! I inherited the dentist fear from my mother, is there anywhere I can officially complain? haha! Wonderful post and answers!
I don’t know anyone else in person who suffers from this anxiety. Everyone just gives me crap for it. Like it’s a legitimate thing! It’s why sedation dentistry exists. I don’t need to quite go that far, but still…haha. Thanks! ❤
Haha no problem I definitely understand