Anne Lamott says the trick is to give yourself permission to write a really horrible first draft. A draft so terrible that you would never show it to anyone. Just to get it down on paper. And then start a massive revision process to turn the shit into gold. I respect that idea tremendously, but it requires such a leap of faith. Like an Evel Knievel jumping Snake Canyon on a rocket cycle leap. It's like marrying someone who hates you because you know that eventually you'll convince them to love you.
That's the thing I can't stand about writing.