Before I wrote novels, before I blogged, before I freelanced, I spent a lot of time dreaming about being a writer.
I loved the idea of writing for a living. I loved the idea of having books out there with my name on.
But I didn't actually write. I read a lot about writing – magazines, books, blogs – but for a long time, my writing was sporadic and occasional at best.
Of course, learning about the art and craft of writing is important. I'm about to start reading several books on screenwriting, because I'm interested in giving that a go -- but it's a very different type of writing from what I've done in the past, with quite specific technical requirements.
But at some point, all the reading in the world isn't going to get you any further. You need to start doing something to turn your dreams into reality.
This might mean:
- Setting up a website (however imperfect) where you can advertise your freelancing services.
- Coming up with characters for your novel, and a very rough plan.
- Sitting down for 20 minutes to produce some fiction based on a writing prompt.
- Creating a free blog on WordPress.com so you can practice blogging.
... or any number of other things.
Whatever your dreams are right now, what one step could you take (ideally before the end of 2018) to start bringing them into reality?
If you'd like some structure and guidance along the way, don't forget to check out my new ebook, Get Writing. I've designed it around helping you make progress, with mini-courses on each area of writing, plus extras like a video on how to set up a blog/website with WordPress.
You can find all the details here:
It's on "pay what you want" until the end of Friday 21st, so you can get it for as little as a dollar.
