They say the hardest step is always the first one. Sometimes, even finding that first step can hold us back. We all know the feeling of plunging our foot out into the darkness expecting a stair, only to have it fall through the nothing.  That feeling holds us back – telling us it’s better not to try than to fail. 

With a new blog, I thought: What better way to start than with my struggle of getting started. 

“Beginnings are always hard.”

– Julie Andrews

Embrace the Mess

Your first draft is not going to be good. Whether it’s a poem, a novel, a short story, or a script, you will have to edit it. That doesn’t mean your bad, it means that you can relax from the pressure. 

Start writing and don’t look back until you’re done. Don’t fix the spelling mistakes, or revise the plot point that you changed your mind about – just keep moving. There is always time to edit. 

Write Every Day

When I start to write, I find the blinking cursor on a blank page to be the biggest barrier. It’s easier said than done, but to start – just start. Write a little bit every day, even if it’s just one sentence. The next time you come to write, there is one less sentence for you to do. Setting a goal helps: write for twenty minutes, or two hundred words. Set a timer and see how many words you can get out in five minutes.

The most important part of starting is that you started. It doesn’t have to be good enough, or have all the details. It’s okay not to know the answers. You’re making progress, and that’s all you need to do.  

MarinaProse