Take One Cup of Courage and...

Sounds so simple, doesn't it? All you have to do is begin if you want to capture success.  Even so, taking that first big step to begin your journey isn't always so easy. We can feel like our feet are stuck in a muddy muck, and we can't pull one out to take that very first step. 

Has your dream been to write a book? Many writers start small but keep that special dream in place. You know you can write 1000 word personal essays or 2500 word short stories, but what about a 30,000-word novel? Or your memoir? Whew! You'll never know if you can do it unless you take those first steps. Take a cup of courage, add some hard work, and you may be surprised at how well things turn out.

I've always found that, once I get started on a writing project, the path becomes easier. The ideas and words flow better as I move from paragraph to paragraph after writing those crucial opening lines. 

If you have the idea for a novel or memoir that swirls through your mind on a daily basis but do nothing about it, what's the result? A big fat zero. No one else can read your words in your head. If that idea keeps haunting you, it's time to do something about it. 

It's time to start making an outline, creating characters, or sitting down to write your first chapter and see where it goes. It's only a first draft. You don't have to write something perfect initially. No one does. The important part is to get something written that you can look at, revise, and edit until you have a finished product. 

I've heard of far too many writers who tell themselves that they will spend a year writing the book. The year is up, and they might be halfway through the first draft or have finished one revision. It's far too difficult to set a timetable in the beginning as you don't know what glitches you'll run into. 

The important thing, to me, is to work continually. Don't work like you're driven for a month, then move on to something else. The longer you wait to return to the book, the easier it is to put it off even longer. Part of us fears what lies ahead, but remind yourself that, if you could begin, you can also finish. 

Have you ever read an article by a writer who mentions something like he/she has published 3 books and has 4 other unfinished novels gathering dust? If they've been successful already, why not pursue finishing those others? Of course, everyone has reasons for individual situations.

What if you use your cup of courage to begin this big project, then you run out of steam? You give up. It happens to some people, but it's not the end of the world. Life goes on; your writing life can go in other directions. Don't beat yourself up if it doesn't come out the way you dreamed. 

No one but another writer can understand that it does take a bit of courage--more than a bit sometimes--to start a writing project. We factor in so many little problems that we allow to hold us back. Of course, some writers have an idea and forge ahead like they have a deadline in only days. More power to them. We're all different people who approach our writing in various ways. That's quite alright. It would be boring if we all followed the very same formula for each new project. 

As the poster indicates, if you have the courage to start, you'll have a fine chance at being successful.