I get a lot of letters - a lot of letters saying, who knew that you were funny?
I've never read anything so badly written that got published. It made 'Twilight' look like 'War and Peace.'
If you want to be a serious writer, then you have to write what there is to write about. If you're going to pull your punches and second-guess yourself and not do things because you're worried, then don't write. Stay home and do something else.
If you have children you worry about the world you're leaving them.
Believe in your own eyes and you'll get into a lot of trouble, hot water, a mess.
You can't have modern states based on ideas which have been out of date for a thousand years.