Yes, you read that headline correctly. No, I’m not tipsy.
We all have the right and the ability to pick up a pen and explore ourselves, our experiences, and the world around us. Anyone can capture their thoughts, channel their creative energy, and transform their experiences into writing—regardless of whether they choose to share those stories later.
What about writing well, you ask?
Okay, let’s pause here for a moment, because I have a question in return: Why are you jumping ahead? Why are you skipping the line?
Every story, every post, and every thought begins with a crummy first draft. Even famous authors start with an idea and a few words that eventually form—no, not a masterpiece—but a shitty first draft. Those writers just keep going, keep editing, keep trying new techniques, keep learning and growing, and keep stretching themselves.
But you don’t have to, nor should you, compare yourself to them. You’re on your own journey, your own path, so there’s no one ahead of you and no one behind you.
So what’s stopping you from getting started?
We all have the right and the ability to pick up a pen and explore ourselves, our experiences, and the world around us.
Too often we create self-imposed fears and limits. We look at the novels on our shelves or the polished essay published online or the empty journal waiting on our bedside table, and we scare ourselves into silence. The scope of the project feels too big, too overwhelming, too intimidating.
But do we pressure ourselves to graduate from college and become a CEO overnight? Would we buy a piano with the expectation that we’d play like Mozart within a week? Did any of us think we’d know all the answers all the time from the moment we brought our first child home?
We need to cut ourselves some slack. We need to remember that we make discoveries during a journey, not only at the end. And every journey starts with one small step. The same applies to writing. Whether we’re journeying into another world or deeper toward self-knowledge, the excitement occurs during the writing process—one step at a time.
Still sounds scary?
That’s okay. New experiences and transitions can feel scary: first day of school, first dates, job interviews, most life-changing decisions, such as the first time you walk into your home with a newborn baby. If we always wait until we’re ready, we’ll never go anywhere.
Consider writing in the same light. Try swapping feeling scared with being excited. Take a deep breath, followed by one small step. And then another. Don’t look up. Don’t worry about the end destination. Just focus on your next step. By the time you look back, you’ll be surprised how far you’ve gotten.
Here are five small steps to help you start writing:
1. Shift your mindset
“Every time your mind shifts, your world shifts.”
– Byron Katie
We have to start with our mindset, because if we keep telling ourselves that we don’t have time to write, that our families need our efforts elsewhere, that our skills are insufficient, that writing is too hard and tedious, then we’re sabotaging ourselves before ever getting started.
Just think about what becomes possible the moment we swap those thoughts.
For example, Einstein taught us long ago that time is an illusion. Thus, what becomes possible if we reassured ourselves that we have an abundance of time? For me, that mindset dissipates the pressure to constantly keep going. It also removes the guilt I sometimes feel when I pause to take time for myself. Likewise, if we give ourselves permission to experiment and have fun with writing, then we can actually enjoy the creative process, rather than judging each and every word as we type them.
In short, what we focus on grows. So let’s focus on rewriting the stories we tell ourselves.
Tell yourself you deserve to do this.
Tell yourself you can experiment and have fun.
2. Brain dump possibilities
“To be a person is to have a story to tell.”
– Isak Dinesen
We all have stories within us—stories that we relish sharing with our best friends, stories that we pass down to our kids, stories that we craft within our dreams when the world becomes a bit too difficult, stories that we recall when nostalgia pulls us back in time.
You too have exponential possibilities within you. And you can identify the potential stories slumbering inside you by doing a brain dump. You know the old saying, write what you know? Here’s how you do that.
List every pivotal moment of your life, your favorite experiences, major life transitions, strong memories that resurrect deep feelings, reoccurring thoughts, and so forth. Keep growing this list over time. For example, every time you pull a friend into a riveting conversation, add it to the list. When a poignant memory resurfaces or you stumble upon a writing prompt that tugs your gut, add those as well.
This brain dump will help you create a magnificent repository of the cornerstones of your life—regardless of whether you choose to turn an idea into a journaling prompt, a fictitious story, a poem, a personal essay, or any other type of writing.
3. Pick one
“A story has no beginning or end: arbitrarily one chooses that moment of experience from which to look back or from which to look ahead.”
– Graham Greene
Take a look at your repository of ideas, and pick one to explore, the one that keeps calling to you. Realize that sometimes the idea churning around in your gut, the one that makes you think, “Um, maybe not this one just yet,” is exactly the story you need to release. Lean into your safe space, and trust yourself.
That being said, if a particular story could trigger PTSD, please check with your therapist on how best to unpack that one.
If the story seems too big, narrow your focus. Start small. Give yourself permission to write just one description about the location, a specific person, or your feelings. If you wish to zoom out a bit more, take a mental snapshot of that experience, and write about the contents within that snapshot only.
Regardless, remember it's okay to experiment.
4. Use a timer
“Knowing that a timer is ticking down helps my focus to laser in on my writing.”
– Kristen Poli
Before becoming a parent, I never used a timer. I would flop on my bed and write for hours without procrastination, interruption, or distraction.
Now, the timer can serve four purposes for me.
First, if my mind can't relinquish all the stuff I should be doing, the timer helps me tell my inner nag that she can take a break and wait 10 minutes. That permission allows me to zero in on my writing goal.
Second, if I tell myself I’ll write for only 10 minutes but don't use a timer, then I tend to keep checking the clock. Knowing the timer will announce when 10 minutes have passed allows me to ignore the clock.
Third, the timer also pushes me to keep going. If it hasn't stopped, neither do I. I may spend the first 5 minutes listing the stuff weighing on my mind, crossing out the thought monsters trying to discourage me, or writing “I don’t know what to write” 20 times. But once I get past those first 5 minutes, once I clear away the surface-level thoughts, I’m then able to dig deeper, to see what’s really going on inside, what I needed to explore and release, and where the story wants to lead me.
Fourth, 10 minutes doesn’t feel like an overwhelming commitment. Thus, I'm able to tell myself to sit down now and start writing, rather than procrastinating all day.
So, do I actually stop when the timer goes off?
Not so much anymore. When I’m in the zone and my kids aren’t waiting for me, I keep going. Thus, the real purpose of the timer is to give myself permission to silence my inner nag and disconnect from the rest of the world, as well as reassure me that I have set up a net for reeling me back if I have other must-dos that can’t wait until tomorrow.
As for length of time, I recommend starting with 10 minutes and working up to 25, the latter of which falls under the pomodoro method (see video below). In the beginning, 10 minutes can feel like forever. But once you’re familiar with that, you’ll find disconnecting easier, you’ll sink into writing faster, and you’ll want more time to see where your creativity can take you.
5. Go crazy!
“Inside each of us is a natural-born storyteller, waiting to be released.”
– Robin Moore
Recall that one story you chose in step 3? When you start writing, jump into the deep end. Write about what generates the strongest reactions from you or that raises a question. What about this one idea has been calling to you? That’s your focus.
Write like you’re talking to your best friend, and let the energy of that conversation flow. Record every seemingly crazy thought that pops into your head. If at first your words feel bland, stilted, or forced, let them out and keep going. As you descend deeper into the strongest memories, the strongest feelings, you'll find the gold.
This experience is similar to releasing air trapped in your water lines. You have to open all your faucets and let them sputter and spurt and gag until they’ve released the air disrupting the system. Only after you’ve provided a path for releasing the air can the water flow freely again.
Therefore, do not disrupt your creative flow by editing yourself. Don’t delete sentences or, even worse, whole paragraphs. Just keep writing. Likewise, don’t fret over chronology or setting up a scene or establishing context.
Tell your inner judge to hush; they’ll have their turn later. Much later. This space right here is for your creative freedom. Make it a judgment-free zone.
Conclusion
Now that you’ve released all this creative potential, what comes next? If you want to revise your work, then you’ll proceed to the second stage of the writing process, which will be a whole other article.
But don’t let your curiosity (or fear) about the other three stages derail you from getting started. You can’t reach the revision stages if you don’t unleash the madman and let your creativity flow.
More support
To help you keep these five easy steps near and dear to your heart, I've created a poster that summarizes these steps. Download your free copy here. Then print it and keep it near your laptop or tucked into your journal.
Want to know more about all four stages of the writing process? Join my next 2-hour Let’s Get Started Writing Workshop. It’s all about helping you to start writing with confidence, foster a writing habit that lights you up, and regularly connect with your truest self.
Featured photo by LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash.
