Writing with Power

From Kate's Writing Crate…

        Once you start writing on a regular basis—no matter what—you can write whenever and wherever you are. It's a powerful feeling. Quite simply, the more you write, the quicker the flow.

        Facing a blank page can still be scary, but you get past that fear the faster you start filling the page. There are two methods I use to get started writing blog posts.

        At any given time, I have several posts started, half finished, and/or in need of final polishing. I start my writing day working on one of these. With fresh eyes, I dive in. When I've taken the piece as far as I can, I'm warmed up so it is easier to face a blank page.

If I start out facing a blank page, then I turn to my list of the topics that I have published on this blog on a Word doc in date order. I have the next six months set up by week and fill in topics as I decide on them.

At the end of that list, I keep a constantly changing list of topics for future posts. I pick any one that catches my interest. Because I made this list in advance, the topics have been bubbling away in my subconscious. Things I don't remember considering show up on the page as I write. I follow these thoughts as far as I can then I go off on tangents just free writing to capture everything I want to say. I don't worry about spelling or punctuation or anything else. I just get the ideas down.

When the fever of words breaks, I take a breath and consider what I have written. Then I start reorganizing my thoughts then expanding upon them. I start to shape them into paragraphs. I delete lines and sections or save them for different posts. I usually work for 30-60 minutes. Then I close the document and work on another post or start editing for my magazine jobs. A day or two later, I start rewriting, revising, and polishing my work. This is my favorite part. It can take a lot of time and hard work, but this is what makes me—or anyone—a professional writer.

I don't stop until I feel the piece is complete, but even then I put it away for another day or two because fresh eyes catch awkward transitions and other errors.

        Blogging does not give me time to procrastinate. I have paid assignments that take priority, but, since I love to blog, I make the time to write, rewrite, and edit posts. That's what it means to be a writer—you have to make the time to write no matter what so the quicker you get started, the more time you have to write.

How do you get yourself to start writing?