creating a writing schedule and hopping into it everyday

If you've ever wanted to write a book or do anything new, you might have noticed that starting is the hardest part. Perhaps, you waffle between questions of how to begin, where or why. Or, maybe you sit in front of your computer with an idea in mind, but after two hours the only thing you've typed is, "What do giraffes eat?" into Google (I'll save you some time here, it's Acacia and they look really stinkin' cute eating it).

"The scariest moment is always just before you start," Stephen King On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Okay, full disclosure? I delayed starting to write by reading Stephen King's On Writing. It's a super helpful read from one of the most prolific writers ever. But the whole time I was reading it, I kinda felt the book was a trick. He's writing about starting to write, having the courage to write, writing, writing, writing, REDRUM (wrong book!), and here I was READING. Not writing. I mean, obviously the two go together but also, they're not the same.

So, my biggest takeaway from that book that you should definitely read after you START writing:

1. Start writing, right now. Stop reading this, and go write. Don't Google the giraffes, you already know what they eat. Write.

2. Create a schedule that works for you, and be super realistic about what works. Stephen King writes ten pages a day. That's not at all feasible for where I'm at. But, two pages was in the realm of what I knew I could do everyday. It doesn't sound like a lot, but at the end of two weeks, that's twenty-eight pages. I've also recently upped my daily page count to three, and the jump from two to three was surprisingly simple. Plus, three pages a day means seven extra pages every week. Not too shabby, eh?

3. Don't read what you write in the first draft. Instead, at the end of each session, write down a question or note to remind yourself exactly where to pick up the next day!

4. Keep going. The more words, paragraphs and pages you have, the more you'll have to keep writing about. You'll put your characters in situations they'll have to get out of (aka that time Luna went on an accidental yoga date), the plot will take on a life of its own, the magic is happening. It gets easier.

That's all I've got on coming up with a writing schedule, and hopping into it each day. Hope this helps. If you've got something to share along these lines, I'd love to hear what works for you, too.

Happy writing, friends!