“Do or do not. There is no try.”
~Yoda
I keep running into people who want to write lately. Actually, since most of these people have been on the periphery of my life for a few years, it’s just that I am learning, now that I’ve got a book out, how many people I know harbour this dream.
What is it about the power of story that so many of us hold the dream of sharing words with the world?
I tell all of those who share this dream with me the same thing: what is stopping you? Why aren’t you writing? The answer isn’t important to me, the question is entirely for the would-be writer. You have to identify your enemy if you want to defeat it.
Face down the negative and write something.
It’s like those commercials that are out at the moment, “I don’t want to pay a mortgage.” “If you don’t want to pay a mortgage, then don’t.” Unlike the bank, where you have to work through some plans to be free of your mortgage, all it takes to write is your fingers and a steamy mirror. Paper, pencil or a computer will do as well.
Get started today. Put down some words. Later you can decide what they’re for. See where they take you. Let the journey begin today.
Shawn L. Bird 
I try to write at least 500 words a day, mostly on my blog – and just in two months am already getting a clearer picture of what works and what doesn’t. I am now 36,500 words into my fantasy children’s novel but am still finding it hard to make enough time available to push through to the end. I think I have the ingredients for at least 3 books. I think as you say the solution is to get on with it – create something – and then see what you can do with it once it’s done
Yes. You may also want to look at some frames like Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat and see if your work basically fits the parameters. It can help you find the holes when you know ‘something’ isn’t quite right, but can’t identify it.
Thanks Shawn. I will look into that. I did write 3 chapters of a book in New Novellist once but didn’t persist with that story.
It’s all about consistency and learning to spend the time every day.