Write from the Start
by Shauna Rumbaugh

"Ready!" she yells, and my two-year-old is off and toddling before she even says, "Go," giggling and leaping into her daddy's waiting arms. How I'd love to harness for myself even a little of her excitement for jumping into whatever she decides to do and her confidence that her father will be there to catch her if she stumbles.

Sometimes I find myself reluctant to start a new writing project, overwhelmed by the work that lies ahead or intimidated by its potential for rejection. Perhaps if I researched a few more markets, ruminated a little more on my ideas, or perused another writing web site, I'd feel ready to begin writing.

Research and planning are important, but too much preparation can lead to analysis paralysis and the inability to take action. I'll never get anywhere unless I stop getting ready to write at some point and just start writing. Here are a few strategies that have helped me get out of the starting block and get on with writing.

• Don't wait for your muse to show up.

If you require a particular mood or a setting to be just right in order for you to write, you'll spend much more time waiting than writing.

If you just can't write in a certain location or are in a rut, change your writing venue. Experiment with writing in different places or at varying times of day. If you normally compose on your keyboard, try writing freehand or vice versa. If you think you can only write poetry when you're feeling blue, try writing when you're in a cheerful mood instead. Look at the range of emotions David illustrated in the Psalms! Don't limit yourself by putting artificial boundaries around your inspiration.

• Write something just for fun to warm up.

Write a letter to your mom, or email an old friend (forwarded jokes don't count!). Compose in your journal or start a blog (web log) to stretch out your writing muscles. Just remember to set a time limit for warming up so that you can spend most of your time on your serious writing and goals.

• Use mind-mapping, brainstorming, free-writing, or another creativity motivator.

Get your ideas on paper in some form, even if your initial writing is sloppy and not worth reading. Revision and editing serve an important purpose--but not at the beginning of the writing process. Silence your inner critics and editors when you begin writing, and encourage your imagination to get going by engaging it in creative ways.

• Get an accountability partner.

Set specific writing goals, create a plan of action, and if your project doesn't already have a deadline, set one—or several--yourself. Then find someone--perhaps another writer--who will encourage you to follow through on your goals, hold you accountable and give you a little push when you're tempted to slack off, and help you celebrate your successes.

• Ask God to remove the barriers.

Write out a prayer or describe in your journal what specific reasons you have for hesitating to begin writing or move on to the next step in the writing process. Whether it's fear, laziness, or a lack of focus causing you to procrastinate, release those excuses to God and ask for His strength and guidance.

Remember that your Father will be there to help you if you trip or fall flat in your writing efforts. He'll help you develop the talents He gave you and enable you to persevere, but first you have to get past the starting line!

Copyright 2003 Shauna Rumbaugh

Shauna Rumbaugh (shauna_rumbaugh@yahoo.com) is a freelance writer, a poet, and an editor for a technology media company.