Transcript:
Welcome to the first episode of Let’s Start Writing. I’m your host, author, editor, and book coach, Connie B. Dowell.
You’re here because you want to write. Perhaps, you’ve got a grand idea for a book, story, or article, but you aren’t sure where to begin. Or you may have started writing a little but soon become overwhelmed. You don’t know the writing world…at least not yet. You might not even feel comfortable calling yourself a writer.
But you are a writer. How do I know? Because you’re here. You’re learning. You’re looking for that first step. Is it a book to read about writing? Is it a class to take or a conference to attend?
Nope. Those are excellent steps, but they will come later. The first step both is simple and hard. The first step is to write.
Today, I want you to spend ten minutes writing. You can spend longer if you like, but ten minutes will do if that’s all you have. You can spend ten minutes writing on an idea you already have, or you can use a writing prompt to get you started. Check the show notes for links to writing prompt generators online.
Set a timer for ten minutes and write the whole time. Don’t take your pen off the paper or stop your fingers moving on the keyboard, even if you spend a little while writing “I don’t know what to write next.” If you keep going, eventually something will come to you.
You’re not allowed to edit while you write, and you’re not allowed to look back at your work when you finish. At least not today. Because it’s going to be messy. In fact it is supposed to be messy, just like a new musician learning a scale. Perfection isn’t the goal of that first attempt. Playing halfway decently isn’t even the goal. Practice is the goal. That’s what you’re doing with this ten-minute writing session.
So this week, consider how you can make writing sessions a practice, even if you only have ten minutes on a Saturday morning.
And once you’ve finished your writing today, I want you to do one thing. Say this out loud: “I am a writer.” Write it down too.
Because it’s true. You have written. You are a writer.
And stay tuned next week for another step.
If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and consider leaving a rating or review or giving me a tip to help support the show on my Ko-Fi page https://ko-fi.com/conniebdowell
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