A blank page makes me nervous but the first sentence makes me even more anxious. I have an idea – an idea that won’t go away but getting it down on the page seems to be more of an issue.

I sit down at the computer, I open up a word document and I begin. The motivation and momentum is strong but it’s not long before these run out and the lack of confidence creeps in, at which point I will stop writing, read what I’ve written and then decide it’s not good enough despite it being a first draft.

Continue reading →

by

I have wanted to be a writer for a long time but the hurdle of becoming a writer is that, at some point, you have to actually sit down and write a book.

Many people say that they’d like to write a book but few get through their first draft.

Ah yes, the dreaded first draft. I’ve been working on my manuscript for a long time and it’s been through many stages and false starts. I have an idea but getting it down on to the page terrifies me.

I’ve taken part in National Novel Writing Month for about five years now and it’s strange how differently I approach that challenge. As I know no one else is going to see my draft and that it IS just for me, I can write (my record was 23,000 words in one evening. A productive night that I, to this day, don’t know how I managed and have never since.)

Continue reading →

by