‘We’ve all got one good book in us,’ or so the saying goes. That’s true to an extent. Writing isn’t some mysterious, unattainable occupation reserved for a select few.
Writing is a craft that can be practised and perfected. Painters, potters, and guitar pickers must work at their art, and so must writers.
Put simply, anyone can write.
All you need to do to start writing — is start writing.
It’s the action of writing that makes a writer.
But, the blank page can be perpetually paralysing. To banish the knife of self-sabotage, read on for the best tips so you know how to start writing.
1. Develop a writing habit
The washing needs hanging, the mail needs opening, and there are emails to reply to. There’ll always be some tempting whisper of distraction.
Use a daily writing habit as an armour against the real resistance to writing.
The misguided believe that writing before inspiration strikes is redundant, so a daily writing habit is a waste of time.
Yes, inspiration may not strike when you sit down to write. But it will likely not hit you in the supermarket, during a country walk or while sipping coffee in Starbucks.
Being available to write means you are available when the ideas emerge. Through habitual work, inspiration may come in sudden ideas, breakthroughs, fantastic phrases or unforgettable imagery.
To develop a daily writing habit, you can:
- Make notes about any obstacles to your writing and how you can overcome them
- Decide if you can carve out some time every day to write, even if it’s only 15 minutes
- Get up one hour earlier to write before your typical day begins
- Write during your lunch break or daily train commute
- Factor in times when you can’t sit down to write, but have thinking time to progress ideas — soaking in the bath, cooking dinner, or exercising
Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash
2. Forget perfection
When you’re tearing through the pages of a book to uncover the ending, it’s impossible to see the author’s hard work. The process of spinning an initial idea into a masterpiece is invisible.
Don’t aim for a masterpiece when you start writing.
First drafts are not the time for perfection.
Worrying about its quality when you start writing can kill your writing before the story has a chance to emerge.
Steven King likens writers to archaeologists; it’s the writer’s job to unearth the story like an ancient relic. In ‘Steven King on Writing’, the King suggests just getting the story out whole and worrying about the quality of the words afterwards.
Yes, subpar prose can be painful.
But all writers, even the most experienced, can write badly. The best thing to do is get curious and see the potential in your writing.
Good writing is rewriting.
Photo by hannah grace on Unsplash
3. Free up your writing
If the ideas have deserted you, freewriting can uncap the flow of creativity.
This term, coined by Peter Elbow, is about associating freely. Freewriting allows you to write down any words as they come to you, and then the next thing that makes you think and the next. The aim is to follow that train of thought no matter where it goes.
You might initially feel uncomfortable, silly or even surprised at the things you write.
You’ll likely have an almost irresistible urge to revise or reshape the words, embarrassed at their apparent uselessness.
Do not try to control your writing.
It’s important not to worry about spelling mistakes or grammar, lest it halt the flow of ideas and images.
Proper freewriting can be a powerful way to generate ideas. You might be surprised or even thrilled by the energy and themes of the words that flow from your fingers.
How to do it:
The goal of freewriting is to write continuously and quickly without any focus on grammar or style.
Write the first thing you think of, then the next, and the next. Let the words tumble out. Don’t censor the words, and don’t edit them. See what you notice.
To make the process easier, choose a topic or prompt to work from and set a timer — perhaps 10 minutes.
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash
4. Learn to start writing with online prompts
Sometimes, you need to find a light for your flame.
Writing from an online prompt can be a helpful way to get your creative juices flowing.
Look online for writing prompts — there are plenty to choose from.
A simple prompt can let your creativity escape from its confines and give you the inspiration you need.
Pick any prompt, whether a word or a whole sentence, then let yourself write whatever comes — uncovering the story like an archaeologist, as Steven King suggests.
Even if only one word of that prompt inspires you, use that as a starting point to generate further ideas or write whole stories.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
5. Keep a writer’s notebook
If the determination to sit and write isn’t working, consider keeping a writer’s notebook. It’s an invaluable way to start writing.
A writer’s notebook is as vital as your pen or keyboard.
When you sit down to write, you don’t need to wait for inspiration; your writer’s notebook will likely house some striking word, phrase or idea.
Also known as a writer’s journal or diary, it connotes something that should be done daily and privately. Keep this in mind to help breed a daily writing habit.
The writer’s notebook can also become part of your daily writing habit as you use it as practice.
Use your writer’s notebook to record anything you find interesting, such as:
- Observations while you’re out and about
- Accounts of your day
- Thoughts and opinions
- Snippets of conversations you hear
- Story or poem ideas
- News headlines or newspaper clippings
- Responses to books, poems or articles you read
- Research notes
Photo by Daria Shevtsova on Unsplash
Your writer’s notebook lets you gather the creativity you need to start writing.
Organise or compile your writer’s notebook to best suit you. You might keep one small pocketbook, separate books for different topics, or an app on your phone that lets you record your observations anywhere.
Grab yourself a notebook and start writing.