How to Start Writing
The short answer—and no, I’m not being a smart ass—is: just start!
Because words on a page can be edited. Blank pages can’t.
Many people tell me they wish they could write, but don’t know how to begin. My neighbor Rob wants to chronicle his wife’s remarkable story, but he finds the publishing part very confusing. My friend Terri has wanted to write a novel about life on a farm for more than thirty years, but the story remains in her head.
Blank pages can’t be published. Write first; worry about the rest later.
When I was a professional photographer, people constantly asked, “What camera should I buy?” My answer was always, It depends. Are you taking family photos for your socials, or portraits meant to be framed? Product photography for work, or a picture of that vitamin brand to send to your sister? Birds, or landscapes?
Writing is no different. Ask “Why do I want to write?”
To document a family story
For the local paper or a magazine
Essays for blog posts
To process your own experiences
To get rich by writing the great American novel (good luck, hee hee)
To make new friends in writing groups
It’s good to know your purpose before you start. But there’s the key. Just start, whether it’s putting a pen to paper, typing on a computer, or dictating into your phone while you’re on the subway. Write when you get up in the morning or after the kids go to bed, when you wake in the middle of the night or when your boss steps out for a golf game. Write without stopping—don’t correct any errors. Write about that banana seat bike you had as a kid. Describe what you see out the window. Start with, “The story I’ve always wanted to tell is...” There are a million writing prompts online.
The more you write, the stronger you get—like exercise. Try essays, poetry, flash fiction, journaling, or write a single scene from that novel you’ve been thinking about. It doesn’t have to be perfect.
Sometimes the biggest obstacle isn’t knowing how to write—it’s being afraid. During a writing course through UW-Madison, I was asked to list every fear I had about writing. I thought, I don’t have any. Then I filled an entire page! What if nobody reads it? What will my dad think about that sex scene? What if it becomes a bestseller and I have to wear sunglasses and a baseball cap to the grocery store?
One resource I recommend is The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. The thirteen-week program is designed to quiet self-doubt, build creative habits, and get you writing. It played a major role in helping me become a published author by helping me to become fearless, and “just write.”
Lisa Lehmann is the author of RADIO STARR.
Loved this, Lisa. And I loved what this line you wrote and the image it conjured up in my mind: "Write about that banana seat bike you had as a kid."
One of my favorite memories! I can still see myself living on Columbus Avenue, streamers in the end of the handlebars, clothespins holding cards in place on the spokes of the wheels to make that rumbling noise, and yes, of course, my banana seat! Such a great memory. Thanks for bringing it back to me today. :) And just as I'm finishing writing this it is getting dark (storm coming through) - but reminds me of how we were to head home once the street lights came on. Ooooo, the fun of being a child!
Great advice 🙌