It's time to find your voice and use it

Writing is like digging ditches. I'm giving you a spade, a sweat rag and a back rub with this blog.

Beginnings are hard.

I cheated. I kept the ‘beginnings are hard’ subtitle Substack gave me to get me started.

Why? Because it’s an absolute truth. I’ve been trying to start this blog for a month and kept putting it off.

I put off posting on LinkedIn. I put off editing my book. I play the ‘mañana, mañana’ game. Do it day after day and you know the result: NADA. ZILCH. EMPTY PAGE.

Let’s start with some basics about writing to get us going:

1. If you wait for the perfect conditions, they’ll never come.

Writing is like digging ditches. It’s hard work. Monotonous. Taxing. No one wants to dig a hole, get dirty, tired and sore. (Not that I know). But the only way to tackle it is to grab your tools and get in there. One spade full of muck after another. In our case, one word after another.

You gotta clear the time. Get into a physical space you enjoy. And write.

Do not wait for inspiration. Just write.

2. Treat writing like exercise.

I don’t mean guilt yourself for not doing it, or join a gym membership and never turn up. I’ve been there. I mean, from your life experience when you’ve felt fit because you’re in a great routine (I’m presuming you’ve been there), call on that.

When you exercise, say 3 x a week, you see results. You get fitter (obv). You feel stronger, you look better, there’s a pep in your step. I feel on top of life when exercise is a non-negotiable.

Writing’s the same. When I’m not writing regularly, in no time at all I feel s##t about myself. It goes way beyond typing some words on a page. It pummels my self-worth. I feel choked and useless. Dramatic yes, but creatives will get it.

So, I have to look at the times when I do write regularly and remember how good it makes me feel.

Then chase that. And write.

3. Don’t wait until you’re good. Learn to get good.

Sorry not sorry for continuing the gym metaphor coz it works. Try to lift a 20kg wait without training, and you’re likely to pop a butt cheek or put a shoulder out. Train regularly and you’ll get fit and strong.

Guess what? Train in writing and you’ll get writing-fit.

And there’s no mirror to compare yourself with this one. There’s just an entire internet of writers and world of bookshops. But you know what? They all started somewhere.

So start. Today.

Writers and Founders, we’re in this together.

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Thanks for reading,

With love. Mwah. 💋

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