I was hooked from the first time I set pencil to paper. Once I learned enough words to construct a sentence, I was writing. Why writing? As the youngest of a large family full of storytellers, it was always difficult to get a word in edgewise, let alone be heard. Sometimes I was lucky, but by the time I had the rest of the family’s attention, I was stumbling over my words and totally incoherent. My brothers had a great time making fun of my feeble attempts. So, oral storytelling aside, I set about to write my stories on paper.

One of my first stories to attract the attention of my teachers and my family was a story I wrote about a wild stallion. I was enthralled with the current TV shows about wild horses, and that inspired me to write my own story. The assignment was to write a descriptive paragraph, and I had a lot of fun using every adjective I could think of to describe my wild stallion, black and fast, full of life, and vibrant energy. I haven’t stopped writing since. However, like so many other writers, it’s not so much the desire to write that means enough to keep me going. It’s the entire process that can be, at times, overwhelming. How do I deal with it? Perseverance, of course. But there are systems and procedures I try to follow to make my writing happen, to bring my writing to life. Here are some of the things that help me and perhaps they’ll help you, too.

Commit yourself to so much writing time each day. This is important. If you think your writing is important, as important as getting dressed and brushing your teeth, then it’s important to make it part of the daily regimen. I don’t always fit in a large portion of time to write, but I do write every day. Sometimes it’s just a journal entry or a lengthy, newsy letter. But at least I commit to writing each day. Don’t let the doldrums and writer’s block get you down. Remember, it’s only a writer’s block if you let it be. Have some exercises handy to make you write even when it’s not directed at a specific writing project. I find writing descriptive paragraphs, describing random objects or places, or even writing a character description gets my writing juices going.

When writing a specific project, remember that certain steps will help see this project move forward. I like to consider my process in three basic steps: pre-writing (jotting down points and notes about plot, setting, and characters), writing (this is the actual ‘big’ job of making the project come alive) and, finally, re-writing (the editing and re-working that takes the most time and gives writers, myself included, the most frustration). Take some writer’s workshops (in person or online). We’re never so perfect at anything that we can’t benefit from a refresher course of some description. I find workshops make me think, creatively and like a true writer.

To be true to ourselves as writers, we need to have a plan and make that plan work. Remember, it’s not enough to just say you want to be a writer; you must also do some work. We’re all uniquely different and each of our writing situations is different, but with a little bit of willpower and determination, we can see ourselves progressing forward in our writing careers. Take the time to consider a process-based approach for each writing project and your writing in general and you will be pleased with the results. It’s worked for me.