You love writing. You’re not sure how to start writing, or even IF you should get started.
Maybe you’ve waited a long time, or you’re beginning early. Either way, you’re determined to start writing immediately. It’s a pursuit that will bring you immense joy as well as huge frustrations. Welcome to writing.
In this post, I’ll discuss three motivational elements that will help you start writing today.
Backstory
Although my dream of writing began many, many years ago, I didn’t start writing seriously until ten years ago. This article will share what I’ve learned, in hopes that it will be a motivating element to get you started. (It doesn’t even have to be writing. Whatever your dream is, the three elements are the same.) My experience is that the struggle is easier if you know you’re not alone.
My love of reading and writing led me to freelance editing in 2012. A year later, a friend approached me about editing her elderly father’s self-help manual he’d written for his family. They struggled to understand it and thought that maybe a little editing would clarify his concepts. After reviewing the manuscript, I realized it needed a rewrite. He was not up for the task alone, and I was asked to coauthor the book. Out of love for my friend, an interest in the subject matter, and my deep love of writing, I agreed. This was the catalyst that started a three-year writing process.
STARTED WRITING
In 2016 we self-published, Soaring Mind Power: A Guide To Generating Powerful Ideas for Extreme Productivity. I learned a lot about myself and my writing ability. My confidence soared. It took five more years, however, to follow my dream and begin the process of writing the picture books I dreamed about 25 years earlier.
The great thing about the book Soaring Mind Power is that it has many tools to help you set goals and overcome obstacles. As you may have guessed, the second purpose of this particular blog is to tell you about this book. It truly was my first chance to start writing. I use the tools I learned through this book almost daily in my writing endeavors. I know it can help you, as well, and that’s what I love about it. If you’d like to purchase this book, you can follow the link above. We do profit from that purchase as it is our creation.
Love to Write
As I’ve discussed before, I loved writing from an early age. This is the most important element to being a successful writer. Whether you get published or not, whether you write as a hobby or as a profession, whether you write for a church newsletter or help your children write their school essays – it’s all about your love of writing.
I guess since you’re reading this article, you’d like to start writing seriously: for a blog, children’s book, or novel. It doesn’t really matter. You need to ask yourself if you love writing enough to do it every single day or at least week after week.
A second question is what do you want to write about? Do you love one genre over another: fiction, nonfiction, children’s, adult? As long as I was writing, it didn’t matter, right? After three years of working on a project, I learned I did not LOVE non-fiction, but I do love teaching and sharing. You should write what you love. It might take a while to figure that out. I convinced myself I couldn’t write a novel, but after a mentor said I have a great middle grade voice, I found I really do love it. The only thing I thought I wanted to write was picture books. I also never dreamed of creating a blog. But here I am.
Now that I’m writing a blog, and I HAVE to narrow down what I’m writing about, what do I want to tell everyone? What is my passion? People and self-improvement. What is your passion? Is there something you could write about endlessly and never tire of? When you determine that, it’s much easier to start writing.
The moral? Be patient with the journey, because it might change over tim
Find a Catalyst to Start Writing
SERENDIPITY
Sometimes the catalyst to writing lands in your lap, like Soaring Mind Power did for me. Editing makes my heart sing (I will be writing posts about that later) and that was truly the catalyst — my link to start writing. Taking someone else’s words and rewriting or tweaking until it shines — oh my gosh — I love it so much!!! When one opportunity slides into another, take advantage of it without second-guessing if you can. My biggest obstacle is doubting my ability. “I don’t know how to write a how to book.” That’s why having a coauthor was great. I added my ability to his. Don’t let those serendipitous opportunities pass you by.
ORGANIZED CHALLENGES
My mentor gave me a challenge to start writing a middle grade novel using my picture book as the catalyst – four paragraphs (just four). I doubted myself, of course. I always told myself I couldn’t write a novel — “I don’t have the imagination to come up with that long of a book.” But it was my homework assignment, and I could NOT let this mentorship opportunity pass me by. The next day I would get back to my picture books. Low and behold — I rocked it! (a page and a half of words) In November, I joined my WIFYR group and did a version of the NaNoWriMo challenge (30k words) to write the rough draft of my first middle grade novel. Take the challenge!
SELF-ADVOCATE AND Begin Writing
Of course, you can always create your own catalyst. If you’re in high school or college, join a journalism class or the yearbook club. Write for the school paper. Seek out opportunities to write. The more you do, the better you’ll be at it. No matter what you’re doing, you can find occasions to create content. Find a small paper looking for volunteer writers. Submit articles for the editorial section of a newspaper. Comment on someone’s blog. Start your own blog. The more you write the better you write. Learning to self-advocate is important. If you come by this naturally, awesome. Some people, like me, have to learn this skill.
Follow Your Dream
IDENTIFY THE DREAM/GOAL
The first step to following your dream is to identify it. What is your big dream and what are your goals to reach it? For Larry and I, it was to have our book available for our family and others to utilize. We worked on it for three years and submitted queries to many publishers. Our desire was to be traditionally published because neither one of us had the time, energy, or knowledge to handle the marketing side of publishing. After many attempts to make that happen, we decided self-publishing was the best way to achieve our main goal. If it didn’t make big sales, that was okay, because our family knew how to get it. I have more time and knowledge now, so hopefully this book can reach and help more people.
Here are some examples of my dreams/goals. I want my children’s books published. In two years, I’d like my blog to be making a five-figure income a month so I can travel one week a month or three months a year. What are your dreams and why are they important to you?
SET MINOR GOALS
Next, identify minor goals to make that dream happen. For example, taking some classes, joining a writing organization, finding a critique group, and setting aside specific time and place to write each day. Your main and minor goals are going to look different from mine. Take some time to write these down where you can see them, because a goal not written down is just a wish.
PLAN FOR OBSTACLES
There are going to be many obstacles and frustrations along the way. Can you identify some ahead of time? As they come along, do you have a strategy for handling them? Who can help you? Where are the resources you need? What steps will you take when you face rejection? Don’t get discouraged. Make an action plan.
CREATE AN ACTION PLAN THAT GETS YOU WRITING
Now write down your action plan. What are you going to do and how. Here’s my sample.
WIFYR and SCBWI are two organization I joined, and I take part in their online support and webinars as well as attend conferences that improve my writing skills, when possible. I found courses that teach me to be a better blogger. With the help of an alpha and beta readers, I will identify where my writing can be stronger. At times of discouragement or when I need more information, I will contact my writing/critique group. When I am too sick to write, I will listen to my body and rest — writing from bed if needed. If I cannot find an agent or publisher, I plan to self-publish. Throughout the day, I will read the positive affirmations I have placed throughout my house to remind myself that “I am a writer”.
ADJUST WHEN NEEDED
Now Start Writing
The best time to get started is now. Sadly, I waited 16 years before I embraced my passion for words and another nine before I began my real dream of writing picture books. Don’t wait that long. Use these motivational elements to help you start writing today.
Your Turn
What’s your dream? If it’s writing, what stage are you in, and what will you do to start writing? What obstacles are blocking you? Is there someone who can help you? Would you like a free copy of the Soaring Mind Power form “Seven Stepping Stones to Goal Achievement”? Contact me, and write 7 Stepping Stones in the message and I’ll email you the PDF.
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