How do I start writing?

“Create. Not for the money. Not for the fame. Not for the recognition. But for the pure joy of creating something and sharing it.” ~ Ernest Barbaric

So you want to be a writer, do you?

Many amateur writers have a dream to change their lives and earn a living through their writing and want to know, “How do I start writing?”

The most logical response is to tell them to grab a pen and a sheet of paper, or turn on their computer and start typing words into a word processor, but that is not the answer they are looking for. What they really mean is they are looking for helpful advice on how to become a writer.

Their self-talk seems to say.

How do I start writing an eBook or article?

What if nobody reads it?

What if nobody likes it?

Worse yet, what if I get criticized for it?

If this sounds like you, brush your fears and anxieties aside and allow me to guide you on your journey to not only starting but successfully finishing your writing. If you are feeling overwhelmed at the thought of starting to write your book, don’t worry, you are not alone.

Many writers and bloggers have felt the same as you in the past, so let’s jump right into the solution to this common problem.

1: Separate your work area from your entertainment area.

The first thing you need is to have a dedicated writing area that is free from distractions. You want your mind to be in work mode, not in resting or playing mode. Writing with your laptop computer on your lap while you sit on the couch and watch your favorite show on the television will not make you very productive.

You must have a desk or table away from your television set up to just focus on your writing. Your work area must be clean and free from clutter and untidiness that will hamper your creativity. (I wrote an article about Why untidiness hampers your creativity. Check it out)

If you like background music playing while you are writing because it stimulates your creativity play what stimulates you, but don’t access the internet unless it is to research the topic you are writing about.

If you are writing a short story about terraforming Mars, for instance, then knowing which plants absorb radiation the best would be valuable information to research while you are writing.

Having a dedicated work area will make you a much more productive and focused writer.

2: Establish a writing routine.

The first draft is just you telling yourself the story." ~Terry Pratchett If you write at the same time every day, you will create neural pathways in your brain through your daily habits that will cause your brain to be most creative during those times.

We all have times when our brain is most active. We can take advantage of those times and write our eBook or article when our brains are operating at peak proficiency, or we can train our brains to perform best when we have time to write.

Try starting with writing 500 words about something that you dreamt about last night, or something you want to dream about tonight. Twist it around and write it differently. Use your creativity to make your writing more interesting.

Even your Daily activities can be a source of your writing if you are paying attention.

Just write for your eyes only. Don’t worry about if anybody else sees it. The only one who will see it or criticize you for it, is you.

Make writing a daily habit and keep writing. The more you write, the better you will become at it.

3: Stop making excuses.

Making excuses for not writing will not get your eBook written. Some writers will blame Writer's Block for their lack of progress, or they will come up with many other excuses for why they can’t write, but most often the major cause of writer’s block is laziness.

Author Jerry Jenkins said that being a writer is the only profession that uses “Being Blocked” as an excuse for not working. Try that with any other line of work and see what happens.

Call your boss tomorrow, and tell him, “I am not coming into work today because I am feeling blocked.”

If you did that, they would not employ you for very long.

If you claim you have writer’s block because you don’t feel like writing, you will never be a successful writer. Writing takes time and effort. Watching Netflix is easy, but it doesn’t pay very well.

Sit down, start typing, and get your writing done.

Here are Seven Common Excuses people give for not writing.

4: Try writing a Flash Fiction story.

(What is Flash Fiction?)

Everyone has a story rolling around inside of their head, or some amusing incident they saw during their day that would make for an interesting story to read.

For instance, one afternoon while walking through my neighborhood I saw a tortoise walking in the ditch near the road I was on. This poor thing was being tormented by one of the most vicious and aggressive animals known to man.

I could only helplessly watch as a dangerous, and downright evil squirrel tried to ride on his back. The poor innocent tortoise tried his best to avoid his more agile adversary by moving his stout legs as fast as he could, but he was no match for his quick and more determined opponent.

The intimidating squirrel saw me and retreated, giving the hapless tortoise a brief reprieve, but the barbaric squirrel seemed to quickly determine he was having too much fun attempting to ride on a tortoise’s back to worry about an innocuous observer like me.

I wish that I had a camera or cell phone with a camera with me that afternoon. If I did, the recording would have YouTube viral video written all over it.

Flash Fiction stories are below 1500 words. The most challenging part of writing flash fiction stories is keeping your story within that small word limit. I have noticed when I try writing flash fiction I always exceed that limit and have to cut the fat to reduce my word count to acceptable levels.

If you want to try writing flash fiction stories check out my flash fiction stories Here.

If you are looking for ideas for stories to write about, I have a page of scary story ideas Here.

Give writing flash fiction a try. You will be glad you did.

5: Start writing in the middle of your story.

The first line of your story is very important, but if you try starting there you may end up staring at a blank page, and we all know you can’t edit a blank page.

I know you have a good idea in your head about what is going to happen in one of the inciting incident scenes where the action takes place, so start there to get your mind excited about writing, and start creating your story.

You can go back and write the beginning of your story later. Some spark of creativity may develop in your mind to help you create the setting and events that precede your inciting incident that would not be in your head if you had started from your first line.

You don’t want to start your story with an inciting incident, or you will confuse your readers. Introduce your characters to your readers and make your readers care about your characters before a major event happens. This will keep your readers interested in your story.

Your reader will ask themselves as they are reading your story, “Why should I keep reading?”

If this is in the back of your mind as you are writing you will become more focused on keeping your story interesting and flowing smoothly for your reader.

6: Make time to read.

“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot, and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of. There is no shortcut.” ~Stephen King

Reading is necessary if you want to become a writer. We all learn best by experience, and reading books by talented authors is the best way to learn proper writing techniques.

If you want to be a better writer, you must read what others have written. It is common to want to mimic the writing voice of your favorite author, and that’s okay. Soon you will establish your writing voice and immerse your readers into your story with your creativity.

Believe you are a writer. Believing in ourselves is the key to success for many things in life. You are a writer, so what are you waiting for?

We have an article on the top 27 classic books that you should discover. These books are great reading material to inspire you to write your story.

R.G. Ramsey

Have a look at our Flash Fiction Stories to inspire you to write your story. - Flash Fiction Stories

Related Articles:

Plotter VS. Pantser: Which one are you?

Article Writing For Seo-optimization

10 Fail-Proof Strategies to Achieve your Writing Goals

How Do I Start Writing?

What Are Writing Rituals?

Previous Article - Why Are You Writing Your eBook?

Next Article - Blogging Tips and Tricks for Your First Blog.

Come join us on Facebook Click here...

EBook Guidance is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

All links on this site are subject to being sponsored content for which we will receive financial compensation.