Writers Who Can't Get Started

Do you lay in your bed at night and dream up great ideas for your next writing project? Then, the next morning, life moves in and your ideas are put on hold. Again! 

Do you think about storylines but never get around to pursuing them? Or writing that first draft?

Do you plan to write a memoir or a  novel but can't get even an outline written?

Do you think about editing an anthology of stories many of your writer friends have written? Then, something else comes along and it's on the back burner once again. 

Do you plan to spend a day checking markets and submitting writing that has been completed but simply sits in a file? 

Do you know your last writing project needs a lot of revision and editing but somehow you can't make yourself do it? 

So, what's stopping you? 

It could be one of several things: 

• fear of finishing (yep, that's real)
• fear that it won't be good enough
• you know it's a lot of hard work and you're not up to it
• you let life get in your way (sometimes we have no control over that)
• lack of confidence
• afraid you can't measure up to other writers you know
• if you start, you will feel obligated to finish
• if you write it, and it's good, people might expect more of the same and you don't know if you can keep producing

I'm sure there are other reasons, too, but once again, you are in control. Ever give yourself a quiet mental lecture? Or a private tongue-lashing in your mind? Instead, how about a pep talk to yourself? List all the positives of the project you hope to begin. Stay clear of the negatives. They'll do you no good. 

Fear and doubt are two of the greatest enemies we writers must face. Don't let either one take over your writing life. Cliched as it may be, Nothing ventured, nothing gained seems to work in this instance. 

So, what's stopping you? Face whatever it is and get started. If not today, make it tomorrow for sure.