Start Small

Start small. One of the things that I think intimidates most prospective authors is that they have an idea for a book but the enormity of the task can seem daunting. It doesn’t have to be though. My advice is to start small, but start.

I truly believe that if there is a burning desire in your heart to write that book there's a reason it’s there. I believe it's something that you should honor. Somebody out there needs to read your book - whether it's one person or 100. Someone is waiting to learn from your experiences and to be inspired to not give up.

However, if the process feels intimidating I would never suggest that you jump in without a plan because that could be absolutely demotivating. You may jump in, feel like you're in over your head and just abandon your project altogether.

Instead, I would like to suggest that there are small steps you can take that will help to build your confidence and help you to develop a writing habit.

Start with a Sentence

Start a blog

Join a Writing Community

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Start with a Sentence

My number one takeaway is to start with a word or a sentence. Sometimes the first step is to get into a writing routine. If that's one word, then write a word, but write a word everyday. And then, challenge yourself after about two or three weeks to write a sentence and then build up to a paragraph and before you know it you will be writing full pages. You will find that the more you layer these little steps the more those creative juices start flowing.

I don't think this is something that's peculiar to writing. I think it pertains to any art form. Improving your writing skills is akin learning to play an instrument. You start with notes, you learn the chords and you combine to those to create songs. As you improve the excitement and the energy builds inside that fuels you to keep going.

Start a Blog

Blogging is like writing a journal. It’s a short reflective piece on the topic of your choice. It could be a reflection on your day, a topic of interest or a creative piece that you’re working on. Starting a blog is an effective way to ease into the writing process because it allows you the space to figure out your personal writing style. It allows you the space to figure out what genres you’re interested in. It gives you the space to develop your own creative goals. Commit to a manageable schedule for producing your posts. This allows you to develop a writing routine. You may also find that your writing evolves around particular themes and you would have started to lay the foundation for your book.

If you’re cautious about publishing it online you could create a newsletter that you share with friends and family. This gives you an opportunity to ease into the anxiety that often comes with knowing that someone else has access to what you’ve created.

Join a Writing Community

Find a community that will suit where you're at on your writing journey and resonates with your current writing style. Most communities vary in the level of structure and support that they provide. So you would have to determine if you need a space with very little structure that will promote creative development such as a ‘drop-in’ class, or if a space that will walk you through the writing process step by step is a better fit. There are of course groups that lie on different parts of this spectrum. So it would be easy to find one that works for you.

In the last couple of years many writing communities have become available online. They cater to a range of experience levels, writing styles and schedules. You have communities that facilitate writing sessions primarily and some, like our Chasing Dreams Community, that offer coaching support for the entire publishing process.

Sometimes it’s helpful to have the support of a group of persons who are on a similar journey and can empathise with how it feels to be new to writing. This just may be the kind of encouragement you need to get started and stay on track.

So, if the thought of writing a book seems a little bit intimidating and you’re just getting started with your writing journey or revisiting after a long break, then start small. Develop bite size writing habits, start a blog or join a writing community. Maybe our Chasing Dreams or Vineyard Communities may be the right fit for you.

Be brave. Trust yourself. Take a chance on yourself and start. If it helps, start small.