I do notice that once I begin writing, no matter how I felt going into it, I soon became energised to continue. For the most part anyway.

This writers section was especially fearful because it was about writing, which I know next to nothing about.

Of course, I’m leaving it up to writers to chime in, so I should just relax and go with it.

Writing has been made out to be intimidating. It’s not. Tell people what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them. Just make it your style of telling them.

And, outside of practicing the piano as Liz says, it’s important to start.

Promise yourself that if you totally hate writing after ten minutes you’ll stop. Tell yourself that every time you write and in twenty years count how many times you stopped after ten minutes. You won’t hit one.

You may not like everything you write, but have it down because it can be revised. The thoughts are not lost. And what you consider to be lousy today will give you the right context for the diamond tomorrow.

Liz, I love that statement! I’ve been gradually working up to full blown misery these past weeks.

I can see I’m going to be yelling “SHUT UP!” an awful lot in the next couple of years :-D

Thank you very much for talking me through this crisis. I’m half thawed and ready to go. Half ready that is!

Writing, like drawing or design is half ego and half self-doubt. Without one we could even get the nerve to start, without the other we’d be casting the movie before we started. The trick is to tell that self-editor — my friend, Lisa, calls the sabateur — to just ’shut up!” Well, to be quiet until the words get down and then edit them. :)

Writing is like playing the piano, it takes practice, but it can be learned. :)