So, you think you want to be a writer. Well, why not? It’s a learnable skill. But it’s not as easy as one might think. And, there’s a big gap between the wannabe writers and THE WRITER!

You can attend seminars, workshops, writing classes, and read countless books on the market about writing. And you can agree with everything the so-called experts tell you. All good beginning steps. Or, you can discipline yourself and just start writing. I wouldn’t recommend starting with a novel. It’s a big undertaking. It’s downright daunting. Too many writers give up with frustration, not long after writing a few words.

How can you adjust to this new writing goal and make the process work for you? Without having to write and re-write the first three pages dozens of times before you’re convinced it’s worth moving forward? First of all, even if you have the best idea ever for the next blockbuster fantasy novel, start small. Think small. And write what you know best.

Here are some valuable tips to get you started:

1. Establish a daily writing routine and stick to it. I find that writing first thing in the morning, every morning, even just a few words, gets my creative juices flowing.

2. Write every day. Even if it’s just a few words or a single paragraph. Write.

3. Keep a journal and jot down ideas and thoughts daily.

4. Carry a notebook everywhere you go and jot things down as you think of them. Have a notebook on your bedside table in case those brilliant ideas wake you in the middle of the night.

5. Read. Every day. And not just the same genre. Expand your reading horizons and try something different for a change.

6. Like I said, writing is a learnable skill, and with each new learnable skill what do you need to do most? Practice. Practice. And practice some more. It’s like any other form of exercise, the more you work those creative muscles, the better, the stronger, they get.

7. Open your mind to the world around you. Inspiration is everywhere: in the news, on the streets, in the café, in the grocery store. Look. Listen. Observe. Write.

8. Plan. This is crucial, especially when you launch into the bigger writing projects. You need to know where you are headed. Otherwise, you’ll be writing around in circles becoming ever more frustrated as the work progresses (or doesn’t). Planning also helps you maintain consistency throughout the work.

9. Write what you know, as much as you can, but also thoroughly research what you don’t know.

10. Re-writing is a good thing, but sometimes it can be overdone. I find it best to plow through the story first before looking back at what was written before. If I keep looking back, I never move forward. My advice is to save the re-writing until the first draft is complete.

11. Find a cozy spot to do your writing. Some people like music in the background. As much as I love my music (I’m a retired music teacher after all), I prefer complete quiet in my writing space. I have the to-die-for location that works well for me (other writers have expressed their envy): an antique spinet desk (family heirloom) of Jane Austen vintage that sits before a large picture window that faces the forested area in my front yard (complete with bird feeders). I feel akin to Jane Austen when I sit at this desk and write, even though I’m writing on a laptop instead of quill and ink on paper.

Location. Location. Location. Or so the big-time movie makers say. But we writers have to feel comfortable in our writing haven. It’s a valuable drawing card, inviting us to sit down every time we’re near: to sit down and just write. And that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? Writing. And, remember, write for yourself first.