Saturday, April 20, 2013

Being blocked with how to start your book

By Dennis Mellersh

You’ve done the research for your book, and you have completed your outline, but now that you have decided to start writing it, you’re stumped and can’t think of what to write. Those few opening words or sentences just won’t come.

This impasse is not writer’s block; it’s normal – and it happens even with professional writers.

But, what to do about it?

The worst approach is to sit there stewing while you struggle to find the perfect and most brilliantly creative way to write the beginning of your book.

Often, your best bet is to forget about trying to write those lead-in words and setences and just jump in with the writing, starting with the very next item on your book’s outline.

Begin writing where you would have if you had already written those opening words. Write the quota of words you have set as your daily goal, and forget about the opening.

Once you get into the flow of the writing and have some of the book written you will often find that some thoughts about how you should start will begin to gel.

It might be a key phrase or thought, or perhaps by completing some writing on the book, the over-arching theme of the book will emerge more clearly in your mind.

That’s when you can go back and write those opening words that first eluded you.


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