I know a lot of people who have always wanted to write a book. A book about their lives, about their jobs, their insights–whatever it is, the biggest thing holding people back is that daunting question: Where do I start?

Last month I wrote an entire rough draft of a fiction novel, and met a major milestone in my life. The story is hell at this point, a rough collection of tangents that’s embarrassing to talk about, but it’s a start. Having a mediocre first draft in your hands is a lot better than one in your head. At least you have somewhere to start all over from again, and the knowledge that you can see it through again.

A month is plenty of time to write your first novel. Hundreds of people have done so during National Novel Writing Month, including kids in high school. The main problem is getting started, and sticking with it.

Start tomorrow. Right after you wake up, make coffee or stretch, and then sit down and write until you’ve written 10 pages. Don’t stop, don’t get interrupted, just write. Wake up the next day and continue. Repeat for a month, and you’ll have written 300 pages. Don’t worry about what comes, if it’s dull or if it’s complete crap. Usually, the first couple pages you’ll write every morning will be nothing but crap. Complete shit. But that’s to be expected.

See, writing a novel is like running a marathon. Starting out as a couch potato, it seems impossible to enjoy running so much that you’d want to do it for 26 miles. But it’s attainable for everyone with a few month’s worth of persistence. Ninety percent of the difficulty isn’t real. It’s the mental barriers holding you back from starting.

So start tomorrow. Sit down and write for as long as you can. Push yourself past what keeps you comfortable. Then get up the next day and keep pushing. Write 10 pages every day for a month, and you’ll have 300 pages to work with. 300 pages that have always been inside of you waiting to come out. Isn’t that worth the initial discomfort of being alone with a blank page?

Make it happen. Set your alarm clock, get up earlier, and make the time to write. The world wants to hear your story, and the world needs your honesty. The world does not live for the daily grind, the world lives for the beauty of the human saga, and you’ve got a story. Share it.

If you’re ready to get started, check out How to Be a Great Writer. There’s plenty more tips to help you get started and keep your focus while writing.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, May 24th, 2007 at 2:23 am and is filed under Site News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.