How To Start Writing
If you’re human, you’ve probably experienced this before.
You want to start writing, whether it’s for the first time ever or for the millionth, but the prospect of actually taking the first step is daunting.
Although it’s not difficult to pick up a pen or open a blank Word document on your computer, it is hard to mentally get out of your own way sometimes.
If you’re torn between the desire to write and a ton of resistance to starting, read on.
Identify What’s Stopping You And What You Want To Write
Sometimes resistance to starting something new stems from an unclear idea about what exactly you’ll write. Our brains like certainty and predictability. When something is new or uncertain, our natural instinct is to hit the brakes before we even get going.
But as you can imagine, this is super unhelpful for your writing life!
First thing’s first: what’s at the root of your resistance? What’s underneath your mental chatter? Fear of failure? A boatload of self-doubt? Concern that everyone will hate what you write?
Even if you only have a vague idea of why you’re having trouble starting, it’s better than having no idea. For example, maybe you’re secretly terrified that you’ll never actually finish what you want to write and all of your efforts will be pointless. And maybe you’re also scared to let yourself down.
Once you know what’s fueling your resistance, you can question its validity. Is it true that you won’t finish this? If you don’t finish it, is it true that your efforts would be totally negated? What’s the worst that you can imagine happening if you do let yourself down?
You don’t have to write this out or spend tons of time on it. While you’re walking or doing other mindless tasks, you can let these questions marinate. The more you question your resistance and approach it with curiosity, the easier it is to overcome.
After that? Identify what you want to write!
Are you hoping to work on writing prompts for a while for the practice? Do you want to work on an idea you’ve had? Are you starting a novel? Short story? Memoir? Essay? Something else?
Satisfy that part of your mind that wants to know what’s up and be clear with yourself about what you’d like to work on. It’s a whole lot less scary for your security-loving brain that way!
Keep It Simple
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but there’s no award ceremony for writing yourself to death.
No one is going to give you a trophy for setting the bar so high you can barely reach it.
You will receive zero recognition for failing to reach your own impossible goals.
Write this down and stick it to your bathroom mirror if you need to: the harder you make it on yourself, the less likely you’ll be to actually write.
Keep it as simple as possible when you’re starting out.
The easier it is for you to write, the more often you’ll do it, and the more momentum you’ll build up over time. Momentum is what will keep you writing. You can’t gain that kind of traction if you’re always “failing” to meet your own standards.
What does it mean to “keep it simple?”
You decide that. But for me, when I was getting back into my writing practice after a few months away from it because of an autoimmune flare, keeping it simple meant writing at least one sentence a day.
If I wrote one sentence, I considered it a win. One sentence was totally doable. Anything beyond that was a bonus. As you might’ve read here on my blog before, this one-sentence-a-day-minimum practice launched a novel that I then worked on for 4.5 years.
That is momentum!
Keep it simple. Start small. Let your effort snowball organically from there. Trust me, it will.
Allow It To Suck
Sometimes, if we’re afraid that what we write will be really bad, we’re extra-resistant to starting.
The logic sort of makes sense: if we don’t ever write it, it can’t suck.
If you’re ok with never trying, that’s ok! You don’t have to write. Truly, the world will go on without your work in it.
But… if the idea of not trying really bums you out, you have to be ok with whatever you write sucking. Especially when you’re first starting out as a writer or starting a new project.
We all write first drafts. They aren’t usually all that good. That is not only ok, but it’s EXPECTED! You have to let go of your attachment to your writing being perfect straight out of the gate and embrace a sucky first draft.
You can’t edit and polish and revise something that doesn’t exist, right?
I always tell myself I’ll fix it later. That’s the mantra that gets me through any resistance when I know something I’m writing isn’t very good. I just think I’ll fix this later! and keep on writing.
And you know what? I always do go back and fix it later once the whole thing is done and I can see it for what it is and what it wants to be. It’s much easier from that vantage point to make a piece shine. It’s almost impossible to do it from the starting line.
To Wrap Up:
- Identify what’s stopping you and what you want to write. Demystify your own resistance and your own ambitions so your brain will feel ok with the process.
- Keep it simple. Set the bar low enough that you can meet it for a while to build the momentum that will propel your writing for a good while.
- Allow it to suck. You’re human. Your writing isn’t going to brilliant on the first pass. Let it suck and remember you can fix it later.
And don’t forget… join me on Instagram for content all month long about how to start writing!
Plus, you can download your free Getting Started Flowchart here.
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