Writing

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I have periodically said I am going to do a series on writing. I think I’ll do it from start to finish: from writing your first pages to publication. Or at least this is what I intend to do. Either way, today’s post is about how to start! Or more specifically, how I started, because everyone writes differently.

I want to be clear that I do not have an MFA or a formal writing education. I took the bare minimum of English classes in college and quite frankly barely remember anything. If you possess these, you are way more qualified than me so don’t read on! This post is really for if you are starting out, with no experience or idea…you’re sitting at your desk answering a bunch of work emails or working on a presentation or counting down the minutes between baby’s nap…and thinking you want to start a book. So okay, here we go!

#1: Butt in chair hours. Otherwise known as….you’ve got to write to have something. Write whatever you want! But make yourself write. For a certain amount of time per day. It can be hours. Or simply minutes in between other tasks. It can be random musings you know will never make it anywhere. In the beginning, I really think it doesn’t matter. You’ve just got to get in the habit of writing, in the routine, and eventually something will come of it. I promise.