Punking Out Defined

Punking out is what happens when you look at something you thought you wanted to do, and a whiny little voice inside of you says, “but that’s too hard!” …and you listen.

There are more formal definitions for the word “punk.” I found several in my Webster’s dictionary. It means “someone worthless or unimportant,” “an inexperienced youth,” “poor in quality or condition,” or “ill; sick; feeling punk.” I take these meanings together to define “punking out” as giving up on an endeavor due to worthlessness, inexperience, youth, poor condition, and/or sickness of spirit, any of which make understandable (albeit lousy) excuses for giving up on a writing career.

Contrarily, a punk is also a smoldering stick used to light fireworks or fuses.