Writing anxiety is a term for the tension, worry, nervousness, and a wide variety of other negative feelings[1] that may occur when given a writing task.
[2] The degree to which a writer experiences these negative feelings may vary depending on the context of the writing.
Some may feel anxious about writing an essay for school, but writing an email on the same topic doesn't trigger the anxiety.
Others may feel fine writing a lab report, but writing a letter to loved one triggers the anxiety.
[3] Writing anxiety is therefore a situational experience that depends on a number of factors, including the writing task itself, the environment, personal and audience expectations, and one's previous experiences with writing.