You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have. Maya Angelou ,,
Blog
GETTING STARTED
Writing the first draft of a book can be daunting. Some people have a genuine fear of a blank screen, or a blank page. I totally get that. And I completely understand what it feels like when words don't come or your idea seems to evaporate in a sense of indecision. So here are some tips and tricks to get over that and get your project up and running without getting trapped in a sense of overwhelm.
JUST WRITE
Honestly, just write. Get something up on the screen. It might be a roughly written, short paragraph from your notes. A one paragraph anecdote. It doesn't have to be the beginning of a chapter, or the first chapter, or any particular chapter. The most important thing is to write where your feeling is the strongest. Get it down. It'll get moved around later during the editing process but the important thing is that it will get the creative juices flowing and get words moving. One sentence leads to a paragraph; one paragraph leads to a page. Very quickly you have a few pages. Then you realize that you've actually started your book and that sense of starting is immensely powerful.
NO, IT'S NOT PERFECT
First drafts are just that. The beginning of your book. Don't expect it to be perfect. It's the start of a creative journey that gets more exciting as you continue to lay down the plot or work on subsequent chapters. Always remember that writing is a process and it can't help but get better. So don't fret over all the stumbling blocks in the first draft.
WRITING IS IN THE RE-WRITING
This is often said and so true. You have to write in order to really do the writing in the re-writes. The re-writing is where you really start to enjoy and feel pumped by what you have done so far. The re-writing is part of the process of editing which is a really enjoyable process when you are tweaking, moving things around, enhancing anecdotes or characters, and laying in richness and depth. Sometimes those edits are nothing more than a few words or a short sentence but the overall effect can be amazing. This is where the story really starts to shine.
SET A WORD COUNT GOAL
Have a plan, ideally a daily plan. Set aside some time each day even if it means getting up earlier in the morning. Do some math here. If you expect your book to be 100,000 (a small book) and you write 2,000 words a day, you'll have a first draft in 50 days. Now, that's a bit optimistic as anything can get in the way but the point is that getting to 100,000 words in two months, or even three, is not out of reach. You'll need time for the re-writing, subsequent drafts and editing but by then you'll be swinging since you will be able to see that the book you dreamed of writing is really happening. Trust me, when you reach 100,000 words, you'll be thrilled.
SET A GOAL USING A TIMER
Dedicate a set amount of time to writing. Turn off everything else. Focus on the work at hand for, say, one hour. Or two. But whatever the time allowance, make it devoted time to your writing project.
TRUST THE PROCESS
Trust yourself. Believe in what you are doing. Trust the process that, as you write, words and ideas and plot developments flow to keep you writing. Getting that first draft page up on the screen has uncorked the genie that you can't put back in the bottle. Trust yourself to let the story flow. Don't worry that other people have written on the same topic or developed a similar story line to the one you are writing. It doesn't matter. No one writes like you do and no one tells a story exactly the way you do. You are unique. Capitalize on that. And never forget it.
Write on!
Margaret