Starting a blog is easy. Do I choose Word Press or Blogger? Sign up. Choose a template. Write a witty introduction post. That's the easy part. The hard part comes when you realize you actually have to post real thoughts, actual writing and perhaps as a bonus, maybe with some creativity.

As you can see, I got stuck at the "hard" part. Luckily, Jess knows all about perseverance and her amazing writing updates make me feel horribly guilty and inadequate about my own desire to write.

Which got my thinking: why is that? Why am I struggling to basically type out words and string them together?

Writing takes commitment. Writing takes perseverance. But writing also takes a not-so-small amount of courage.

That is why I decided to open this blog with a little fear of mine: sharing my writing. Some people have a fear of public speaking, or struggle with heights, or flee when an unwelcome mouse enters the room, but I have a small, nagging fear of sharing my writing. (Also: spiders.)

Despite being an English major, I never took creative writing classes in college. Yet, I wrote my first story when I was in second grade. I'm pretty sure it blatantly plagiarized the Magic School Bus series - I'm not claiming originality here. However, I wrote constantly and consistently: notebooks with pages full of chapters, words and ideas for future stories. None of this will ever see the light of day, but I had more guts writing when I was in elementary school compared to my college years and beyond.

I have less of a problem analyzing literature. In fact, I may have to hold myself back from dissecting Byron and Keats poetry, or the seeping class structure within Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Or reviewing films - is any one else excited to see the new Terrance Malick film?

Point being, it is easier for me to share literary criticism versus original work. It makes me wonder: do other writers feel slightly nervous about putting their writing out there? If so, how do you ever get over it? Suggestions? Thoughts?