The best way to get started with writing is to write.
A lot of the things I write are crap.
Garbage. Lousy, silly, barely literate words and phrases. Half-baked ideas, notions, thoughts, and so on.
I have, in my collection, about a dozen stories I started – and never finished. Some got a good way in. Others are a couple of paragraphs and maybe a basic layout for where I had thought to go. In all cases, I put them down and either tired to return to them – and failed – or left them completely.
Numerous people I’ve talked to over the years who have said one of the following:
- “I have a great story idea, but I don’t know where to begin.”
- “I want to write, but I’m not sure how to start.”
- “There is an idea I have, but don’t know what to do with it.”
Or some similar equivalent.
The answer is to sit down, either get in front of a keyboard or get a pen and paper – and write.
How do you write?
The process is different for everyone. Professional, hobbyist, or just an enthusiast, every writer is different and unique.
What you write, how you approach it, when, where, and even why you write are all particular variables from writer to writer. There is no One True Way™, no right way or wrong way, and no valid versus invalid notion.
I cannot deny that some people just are not writers. They haven’t the proper command of language and grammar, a major dislike of having to work on writing, fear, unhappiness, and other negative feelings towards writing. That’s okay.
Not everyone is a brain surgeon, scientist, lawyer, mechanic, artist, chef, scholar, and any other profession or occupation you could think of. Ergo – not everyone is a writer, either.
Still, if you feel it – if there are words, ideas, and thoughts in your head that you simply need to get out – by all means, sit down somewhere and write.
If you feel the urge and have the desire, then how do you write? A couple of ideas:
- Lists. Make a list of things. Character attributes, ideas, names, places, feelings, or whatever is in your head that needs to make it to the paper or screen.
- Brainstorm. There is no right or wrong, every single idea you have needs to be written out. Some are going to be ridiculous. Others might be brilliant. The majority will just be. And that is okay.
- Write stream-of-conscious. Very much like brainstorming, but rather than singular ideas, you just write out everything that comes to mind. Again, much of this will be nonsensical; but some could be brilliant.
Don’t be afraid. Many would-be writers are afraid. Why? Because of how they and others may or may not judge them.
Choose what to do with it
Whatever you write, good or bad, incredible or awful, you get to choose who to share it with – or not.
You can choose to keep whatever you write to yourself.
When I was 9-years old (in 1981), I wrote my first sci-fi novel, Wildfire. The basic premise is that a mad scientist invents robots (which, FYI, since the story was illustrated, look like Commodore Pet computers. Remember those?) that will do everything for everyone. Thus, the human race becomes complacent, fat, and slothful.
Everyone, that is, except for the kids of the world. Nope, they rebel, steal secret high-tech military equipment, carve a base for themselves inside the Grand Canyon, and proceed to attack and destroy all the robots.
In the end, the kids win after wiping out all the robots AND all the adults.
Wildfire is 50 pages long. And, for a time, my dad helped me try to get it published.
Looking back – it is probably good no child psychologist read into the story (do many 9-year-old kids write about killing off all the adults of the world?).
Very few people have seen the book or read it. The same goes for The Secret Computer World, which was the first story I typed when I was 13 or 14 (on a combination of an Apple IIc at school and my Apple IIe at home). There’s a copy of it floating around here somewhere.
These are the works of a kid done over 30 years ago. Nobody needs nor particularly wants to see them. And that is okay. What I do with my work is entirely up to me.
That’s true of any writing that you do, too. There is no pressure to publish and share what you do.
Don’t let fear overwhelm your writing
Do you have an idea in your head – fiction or non-fiction – that you just feel an urge, a NEED akin to breathing, to put down on paper or type out on a screen? But are you afraid to let it go?
That’s not unusual. Some of the things I share – particularly non-fiction – may be controversial. I did not react too well when judged on something I wrote recently, initially removing the share on Facebook. But then I thought better of it, swallowed my fear, and put it back.
What if it sucks? What if it reveals a scary side of my personality? Will people think less of me for sharing this? Is my grammar and sentence structure awful? Who cares about what I have to say?
I’ve asked these questions many times. All of them are insubstantial fears when all is said and done. However, each feels real, scary, and unwelcome.
Don’t let them stop you from writing. If you feel a need, an urge, a desire to get words down somewhere, somehow – do it. Take a deep breath, sit at the keyboard or with a pad and pen, and start writing.
In the words of Yoda,
“Do, or do not. There is no try!”
Don’t just try to write. Write. Yes, it might suck. No, you might not want anyone else to see it. Hell, you might even choose to toss it out, burn it, shred it, or otherwise destroy it when complete. That doesn’t lessen the truth – you should write if you want to write.
Like anything in the world – practice makes improvement. The more I write, the better I get. There will always be something more to learn – but that’s just part of the fun.
To write is to breathe
For me, writing is as natural as breathing.
Over the years, with ongoing practice, I have learned new styles, gained insights, and improved the writing I do.
I love to write. It is joy, and it drives me. Sharing my words – in whatever format they exist – helps me help make the world a better place.
My non-fiction offers ideas, advice, inspiration, and hopefully wisdom. The fiction I create offers escape, fun, inspiration, and a gateway to open imagination.
It used to surprise me that not everyone could write. But I know many people who find the challenge of writing unpleasant, disconcerting, and something to be avoided. If you fall into this category – then, by all means, hire writers to do writing work that is important to you.
But if you hear the call, feel the urge, need the deep breath of creation that comes of writing – by all means, write.
The best way to do that is to sit down and write.
Write or write not – there is no try. Good luck, have fun and happy creating!
Thank you for taking part in my ongoing journey. Thank you for joining me, and for inspiring me and my art.
This is the sixty-sixth article exploring the creative process. Please take a moment to check out the collection of my published works, which can be found here.
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