My Facebook News Feed is typically filled with articles written by The Odyssey’s college bloggers. While reading these articles, I always found myself laughing, sharing it with a friend, or thinking to myself, “Wow, I do this too.” Now, as a freshman at the University of Florida, I knew I wanted to become one of these writers that I admired throughout high school.

However, I must give these writers credit because this writing process made me realize how terrified I am to publish my thoughts with the world. Ironically, I am extremely outgoing and typically outspoken, yet I have been so reluctant to write my first article because I am scared. I was scared of what other people would think; if other people would laugh; if other people would share it with their friends.

I tried to start my first article for more than a month, and I continuously put it off because it was easy to hide from the thing I was scared of. But instead of hiding anymore, I will share my month-long thought process of deciding what to write.

1. The first time I sat down to write the article, I brainstormed many different ideas based on the many articles I have previously read. These ideas ranged from the basics of why it is great to be a Florida Gator to the best restaurants in Gainesville and open letters to everyone I cared about. I felt very in control of this process.

2. However, with all of these ideas, I had no idea which one to pick. Which one would people laugh at? Which one would people send to their friends and family? Which one would people most relate to?

3. Now here is where the procrastination began. Maybe if I put this off for long enough, an idea would pop into my head, or I would find inspiration. Hiding from my fears of showcasing my beliefs and publishing my work to a huge audience just seemed so much easier than figuring out what to write.

4. Too much time passed, and I realized I should probably start this article. I revisited the list I created when I originally was going to start, but none of the ideas stood out to me anymore. However, I realized talking about month-long procrastination through Bitmojis would showcase my creativity and love for popular culture fads. Although this article may not relatable for everyone reading this (and hopefully many of you are reading this), I am sure that other Odyssey writers, or any writers of that sort, feel this reluctance to write their first article.

5. Finally, I terminated my procrastination, I was satisfied with my idea, and I just sat down to write. At the end of this process, I realized being true to myself and my writing is the best way to properly exhibit my character and who I am. Writer’s block is a real thing, and stage fright does exist, even when you are not standing on a stage with lights shining down on you. And yes, I am guilty of putting off this article for a month, but I now know that being published feels extremely rewarding.