Monday Motivation: Getting started
Why is it harder to start writing than it is to write?
Today in sprint group we were talking about all the things we do to avoid writing. It’s not that we don’t like writing. We love writing! But starting to write is a challenge.
It’s like an old car trying to start on a cold morning.
There is no surer way to clean out my to-do list than to start a new book. I will do the laundry, clean the house, organize my closet, and any and every mundane task possible before I sit down to start.
We all have different ways to force ourselves to write. One member uses something they enjoy as a reward for putting in her writing time. Another has this super interesting technique of scheduling her tasks in groups: 1 short thing, 1 long thing, and 1 fun thing. Then take a break. This works similarly to the reward, I think.
I’m big on lying to myself. Yes, lie. To myself. I used this technique when I was running on the treadmill every day. My deal with myself was that I just had to start. I had to run for 15 minutes, and then, if I still didn’t feel like running, I could hit the shower. Most times, once I started, I wanted to keep running, but I kept my word. If I still wasn’t feeling it, I could leave without guilt. I do the same thing with writing. I just have to try for 25 minutes.
Perhaps my favorite story about starting to write is one told by Neil Gaiman in many different settings (so it must be true). He schedules writing time, and then he cannot do anything else. He can sit there and do nothing, but he cannot do anything else. Eventually (as you might guess), he gets bored and writes.
There is no right or wrong way to get started. Just start.
Our sprint group acts as an accountability group. We all agreed that sitting down over a video conferencing app forced us to sit down and do the work. That’s the value of sprint groups, write-along groups, or accountability groups. The goal is to hold each other accountable for sitting down and starting to write.
What’s your biggest snag in getting started? What techniques have you tried? What works best for your brain?
In September, I’m offering free write nights on Wednesdays to get anyone interested started writing. It’s your chance to try out an accountability group and see how it works for you.
Also, note I’m teaching a free character workshop on Saturday 14 September. I’ll post more next week, but here’s the date and time to keep on your calendar:
Cindy Skaggs is a writer with a decade of experience teaching writing in higher education. She has seven published novels, two novellas, multiple journal publications, and a Pushcart nomination. She teaches classes in first-year writing, creative writing, writing to heal, and creative nonfiction. She has mentored more than sixty completed novels.
In 2022, she quit her day job and moved to Ireland to study Irish Literature. It seemed like a good idea at the time.