Start writing is among the three hardest things to do as a writer. The other two are simply to work, and finish. Each of these diabolical phases kill off more writing than was lost in the library at Antioch. At no point is the writer home free till he can willingly walk away knowing there is nothing more that can be done. What a writer need to get past that trio of traps is a lot of little habits and traits that push us through to the end.
Starting Writing
I have to agree with Walter Mosley on starts. The first few words of anything you write is the highest hurdle. It seems that there is nothing there to write when you sit down, and that is where so many writers stop without so much as a word being produced.
That first hurdle is also why there are so many ways to cajole, persuade, rationalize, bribe, and threaten ourselves to sit down to scribble a few lines. Some have a ritual to transition, others skip it to dive straight into the ice water. There are arguments for music and total silence. We see those who must have the lucky pen or a specific space set up to look a certain way. There are those who write dictating to a cell phone while standing on a bus or walking down the street, and I even know of one writer who said he tacked his home mortgage above his typewriter for inspiration when he did not feel like writing. “Oooh, look inspiration,” he said as he mimed rapid typing.
My own routine is pretty simple. I make sure I write every day and I take steps to make sure I hit some really easy targets when things try to kill what I view as the most important two things a writer can have on his side, a habit and momentum.
Reinforcement
Habits remind us to get to work and our momentum brings us back. Sure I shore my writing sessions up with some things to reinforce the habit and ensure my momentum stays up. For instance I do like to get in a writing frame of mind when writing. For me that is free write three morning pages and to read from Steven Pressfield’s books to remind myself what a professional minded writer needs to think like. Aside from that I am fairly fluid with what I am doing. I can get my work done with a laptop or a Bic Crystal pen and loose leaf paper in a hotel room, library or anywhere else if I had to.
Sure I have a space, a corner in the dining room facing the wall. I use a desk pad too, but mainly because I hate writing on a hard table like surface. If I did not have it I would just use some more paper under what I am writing on. I also have my preferences for tools. All this is nice reinforcement. I think we all need that, but in the end for me two things matter. Habit and momentum. Aside from that there are some steps to have in place to get these points in play.
Decide to start writing and what to write.
The point here is to make a clear commitment to getting words down on paper and know what you are going to write. This can be as specific a plan as you need it to be, though I would avoid long lists and complexity. A minimalist approach that gets drafts done is probably best. You should also avoid trying completely winging it with zero end game in mind. The clearer you see where you want to wind up the better you will be able to anticipate your needs and make a working plan that works for you.
Start writing with the questions.
What type of writing are you doing? Is it literature or a blog or copywriting for clients? How long is it? A book, a blog, a ten thousand word white paper? How much time do I need for a completed post or chapter or piece? What am I writing about…aka the topic/theme I am working with? What requirements do I need to keep in mind? You might not know exactly what you need when you start, but getting stuff down on paper is a great focus tool. The clearer we can make our thinking, the better and easier the work will go.
Know your interest level.
If you are not interested in what you are writing about, it is going to show up in the work. Even in non-fiction a lack of interest will lead to problems ranging from a lack of quality research to failure to answer the reader’s questions or taking a prospective reader’s point of view into account. Even on those pieces you don’t like, your writing will be better if you try to find some element of the subject interesting so you can focus on it.
When you star writing just to finish something you are supposed to write without any interest will likely take you back to those wonderful high school days where assignments were the worst thing on earth. Taking a little time to find some interest will shorten the process.
Which writer are you?
There are two main ways to start writing. You will either have something to say or something to document. Both ways work.
Few writers start out with something to say. Most of us kind of fall into what we want to talk about as we write about other things. There is nothing wrong with documenting instead of creating. It’s how many of the great writers of all time learned what they wanted to talk about, after they had finished their own journeys of exploration and learning.
Tolstoy did not write will after he had traveled and served in the military. Orwell first lived as a tamp in London and Paris before forming his views on communism in the Spanish Civil War.
So what if you are still starting?
You have no convictions to guide your words. What then? Give Gary Vaynerchuk’s advice a try. Document, don’t create.
When you have nothing to write about, you can write about learning what you want to write about. Document your process. Start writing about where and who you are now. The biggest hang up for a lot of writers is that they think they know nothing, so they never write on anything.
Writing is all about setting out on a journey you have not traveled. When you start writing from having walked the journey, you write from what you know. When you document, then you are writing from discovering as you go along. Find new things that are important to you and talk about them. Both tracks work. Pick one.
Now keep going.
Shoot for a word count and set a minimum daily goal. No wussing out. Write every day, even if it is tiny, and have a minimum standard, even if it is even smaller. A daily habit ensures progress like nothing else. So, build that habit. I have found that shooting for around 700 to 1000 words with a five word minimum fallback position to ensure I have something done every day to be a very effective habit for me. This simple habit has allowed me to become more consistent and productive than at any time since I first started writing in school.
You have started writing.
There you go. That’s the plan to start writing. Repeat the habit again tomorrow. Learn a few more things to improve your work as you go along. You are writing.
Honestly. Give my article Honesty- What does that have to do with writing? a chance.
Photo by shraga kopstein on Unsplash