I sat there, was frozen in my chair.
I was filled with the familiar panic that inevitably comes right before you’re forced to stand up in front of class or open your mouth during a meeting at work.
This time, I wasn’t in front of a group of people.
I was all alone, staring at a single button on my laptop screen.
This wasn’t just any button — it captured the two scariest words for any insecure writer getting ready to share their first piece of writing with the world:
“Publish now.”
Individually, these words aren’t that bad.
The word “publish” comes with the territory of writing, but it usually pops up after a big break or a viral tweet. The word “now” simply means doing something immediately, like eating when you’re hangry or finding a bathroom after you eat Jack in the Box tacos because you were too hangry to find actual food.
Together, these two words can instill fear quicker than clicking, “Reply all” and sending that questionable GIF to everyone in the office.
Combined, “Publish now” means you’re about to send a piece of yourself out into the wild for anyone and everyone to pick apart and criticize.
