So you’re ready to start writing you’re book. The only problem is nothing is coming out. All of those ideas you had before have fled from you. Not to mention the blank screen/paper has nothing on it and making you feel less and less prepared for this author journey. Writing block has become your new best friend, but you’re ready to move past it.

We have all been there at one time or another. Today I want to share some pre-writing strategies you can use to help you feel more prepared when you sit down to write your first draft.

• Find Your Idea- Ideas are all around you. One thing I like to do to get my creative juices flowing is to take a walk. I get a lot of fun ideas by being in nature. Take time to identify what you want to focus on when you’re going to write so that when you sit down you already have an idea to reference.  You might draw inspiration from a routine, an everyday situation or a memory/experience. 
• Build On Your Idea- Once you have an idea you will want to build on that idea. So you can do this by free writing. Set a timer and just let your writing flow. Using this idea is important because it let’s you get everything in your head out onto paper and then you can worry about structuring it later. The neat thing about free writing is that more ideas often come because there is no pressure. Another option is to consider what you want to communicate objectively to your ideal reader and then creating an outline of how your writing can get there. Outline are great because they serve as a blueprint to follow when you sit down to write. With my clients and my own writing experience I have come to see that physically writing is often better than trying to type this part of the process out.
• Plan and Structure- A good writing session begins with a plan.  Even if you don’t follow it completely you want to have some ideas for where to begin.Identify the best time and location to write and eliminate potential distractions. Make writing a regular part of your day. Identify your goal for the session and what that looks like. For example you may say I am setting aside one hour. Thirty minutes will be a writing prompt and the last thirty minutes will be chapter 7 of my book. Having some sort of layout will reduce the overwhelm when you’re ready to start writing.
• Writing- Now you have your plan and you’re ready to start writing. Remember, this is your rough draft.  There is a reason it is called a rough draft….because it will likely be rough. That is why no one has ever published their rough draft. So take the pressure off of yourself of trying to be perfect at this stage. Just write.View this stage as more of a free writing exercise, just with more direction.

Sure, you may be running into a ton of roadblocks as it relates to getting your writing together, but you are doing what most won’t do. Research says that 81% of people want to write a book, but less than 1% actually do it. So give yourself a pat on the back for committing to this and chose to let your writing flow. I am a firm believer that there are people with POWERFUL stories, but they are paralyzed by fear and perfectionism. Do not let that stop you. Your voice matters.

Follow me on YouTube to learn more: https://www.youtube.com/drnicolyawilliams