Doing something for the very first time always seems so daunting and many times we try to talk ourselves out of doing what we set out to do. Still, the nagging little voice in our heads keeps persisting and won’t let us quit. We visualize how we want our book to turn out, the plot, the characters, the themes that we want to explore, and in many cases, we can so vividly see our books on bookshelves and in the hands of interested readers. Even so, it all starts with writing your first sentence, paragraph, and page.

Even though as you start you may feel stuck and may not know how exactly to begin, there are a few ways that can help you boost your confidence. Some of them are discussed in this article.

Being Your Biggest Fan

Unfortunately, many times we are our biggest critics. We walk around discouraging ourselves and imagining how our books will be flops and how good the rest are, as compared to us. Adding insult to injury, sometimes those around us breed those insecurities inside us and discourage us even further, instead of offering constructive criticism and much-needed support. When you find yourself in such a situation, you need to shut down all the voices around you and just go for it. You will never know how good a writer you are unless you give it a try.

Bring Out Your Own Voice

The world today is full of all sorts of books, magazines, blogs and much more. Just surfing the internet may make you doubt yourself. The most important thing is not to compare yourself with others. Trust that your own unique ideas will entice the readers you so want to reach. Everyone has their own way of expressing themselves and even though there is cut-throat competition out there, you still stand a chance. Carve out your own style and stick to it. Copying someone else’s ways will only get you so far.

Set Achievable Goals

One of the easiest ways to get discouraged in the process of writing is to set goals that are unachievable. Unachieved goals are the biggest killers of drive and motivation. Learn who you are, what you can achieve and in what period of time. It is also important to enjoy the journey before achieving the next goal. If you focus on enjoying the process rather than the outcome, you will get to the point you desired to be without even realizing it. Still, ensure that the goals you have set push you to become better, but not to the point of breaking you. The key to achieving objectives is to be realistic and practical.

You Do Not Have To Be Perfect

We live in a world driven by perfection, achievement and a constant drive for recognition. If our books do not become bestsellers or are not printed in other languages and in the thousands if not millions, we are taught to think we have failed. Yet writing is not just about fame and achievement; it is getting to tell your own story the way you deem fit. It is art and it is expressing ideas as we see them. This means that you might not get to be the next Mark Twain overnight, but you still get to share part of your own thoughts and your own self with the rest of the world on your own terms.