Writing the dreaded second book

Here's the funny thing about a debut novel: people (agents, editors, other author, to-be fans) expect that you are going to have a second book not long after the first appears on the shelf. Which is great in theory, but here's the thing: WHAT IF

There. I said it. What if my next book sucks? Or even worse, what if I sit down to hammer out another book only to realize that I used up all the creative currency I had to write the first book and there is nothing left at the bottom of the barrel except a twizzler wrapper and three smarties packages?

Or, what if my first main character is my best main character EVER and all other characters to come are lesser and pathetically two dimensional?

Or, what if everyone hates my first book and every editor in New York City and London agrees to disavow ever having knowledge that I was even a blip on the literary landscape. 

It could happen. In fact, I'm afraid that it will happen. In fact, I'm sitting on not one, not two, but three fun stories and can't seem to get my butt in the chair to actually write them. What the heck! I have a chance to do what I have always wanted to do and I'm stuck. By FEAR.

Now, I'm a big, no, HUGE, fan of TED Talks, so whenever I get stuck, I head over to YouTube and search for inspiration. And this is what I found.

You know what... this makes me feel better. If someone like Elizabeth Gilbert has doubts and works through them, then I can, too. Because if there is one thing (family not included) that I love more than myself, it's writing. It is a passion that has been burning inside me since I was a kid. It's been my dream to have a book available for anyone in the world who wanted to read it. It's been my dream to write so many books that I have a shelf at the library like Meg Cabot does. It's been my dream to inspire others to follow their passion. It's been my dream to be a writer. 

And I have a secret dream that I tell everyone. I want to be on Ellen. There I said it. And there is no way I'm going to get on Ellen by writing one book. So there is no other choice but to write. In the words of my amazing agency/pub sister Amalie Howard, "Pick a story and then sit down and right it. How hard is that?"

So, tell me: What's your dream? Are you doing what you can to make it come true? 

Sarah Schmitt has bachelor’s degrees in political science and psychology as well as a master’s degree in higher education administration, but she has always loved writing fiction. She is a K–8 school librarian part-time and youth service professional for teens at her public library. Sarah currently lives with her husband and two kidlets near Indianapolis, Indiana. Her debut YA novel will be in bookstores October 6, 2015 (Sky Pony Press).