The First Step of Becoming a Writer

When I started writing I had no idea that it would become more than just a hobby, and at most be only for my friends and family to enjoy. I figured that my books would only be a fun project that gave me something fun to do. I did not make an outline or have much of an idea of how many chapters or pages would be in the finished book. If I had any idea of how much work or time my first book would have cost me, I probably would never have started it at all. Something that was supposed to take a few weeks took me several years. I think too many people who want to write books focus on the tough aspects of writing. Aspects like cost, work, and most importantly time are the great clogs that jam the wheels of imagination and creativity. 

I remember in school I hated writing papers. It was perhaps my least favorite assignment that I would put off at all costs, often making endless excuses to delay the drudgery of composing a theme or essay. However, when I would finally fold to the inevitable fact that there was no way of getting out of the task, sit down, and start the project, it was always much easier and more pleasant than my apprehensions. In the same way, would-be authors can dread the process of creating a finished book or work or literature.  If the work requires a ridiculous amount of research, don't get overwhelmed, the internet makes a prosses that in the past would take months or even years of collecting historical texts possible for virtually anyone.  If you feel like the ideal length of the manuscript you plan to write will take years and years of drudgery, just remember that if you can type at 35 wpm (the average typing speed) you will be able to write over 2000 words an hour; that's 16,000 words in an eight-hour day. Work at that rate for one week, and that's a whopping 115,000 words!  Of course, you might say that creating an original work is not the same as typing notes or copying an encyclopedia, and that is true. It will take more time than a week to write a book. But it will not take nearly as much time as you might think.  Therefore, whether it is a novel or a high school paper, give it the same approach. Write out a quick outline if you want, then just start the project. this might sound like sacrilege to some authors, but an outline should only take between fifteen minutes to an hour or two. The less you think about the entire prosses the more you can focus on the task at hand, the next sentence leads to the next paragraph, etc... before you know it you will be well on your way to a great book, paper, or essay.