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There is a beauty and an art to the beginning of writing a piece while avoiding writer’s block. It is this secret ingredient for how to start writing that opens both minds and doors.
There is a reason that so many people don’t ever begin to write what is on their heart – what burns in their soul and breathes through their being. These words & ideas stay trapped inside, unable to be experienced by all who need them, because people don’t have an understanding of this hidden gem of knowledge.
As one of the editors for Wildly Free and a 16 year veteran writing teacher, I have seen this play out time and again. I have seen people with amazing clarity to their ideas and those whose ideas seem as scattered as the leaves on a brisk, breezy fall day. I have seen 12 year olds staring as blankly at a page or a screen as 62 year olds. Their plight and the thought that rings through their mind is often the same: Where do I even begin?
So here is the secret to the beginning of a great fictional saga, the start to an in-depth informational article, the initiation of a spirit-moving poem: don’t try to start at the beginning.
For many, this flies in the face of what was taught in school. As an educator myself, I can admit to being caught in a similar space, especially early on in my educational career. The idea of choosing your thesis statement first, of beginning with a strong opening, of having the organization to your piece carefully laid out as an outline or a storyboard are all outstanding ideas IF you are clear on where to begin and IF that is how your brain works. However, when that clarity is lacking or you know those systems do not serve you and all that remains in front of you is a blank screen that taunts you, let the beginning go.
In fact, let the beginning, the organization, the ideal wording, and the polished nature of it all fly right out the window.
The true secret to great writing is to begin anywhere and begin now. Start in the middle or at the end. Begin with a line that you see and feel clearly or start with something that you know is garbage. Start with a complete sentence or bullet-point out your thoughts in partial phrases and half-formed thinking. Let the feelings you have inside of you pour onto a page or begin with a sketch. Who cares where you begin? Who will know? You begin to win as soon as the first marks appear on the page and build momentum with every one you continue to add.
One of the most magical parts of the writing process is that people often discover the clarity, the organizational pattern, the voice, the message, and the purpose of their piece INSIDE of the writing process, not before it begins. There is so much beauty, so much freedom, and so much grace inside the beginning of a writing piece. It is the perfect place to allow your mind and heart to run free, without the weight of expectations or the input of others. It is just you and this thing inside of you that you know is meant for others down the line.
Here at Wildly Free, we don’t have any predetermined thoughts about you or your work based on your first draft. It is simply a beginning. Our strength, our super power, is to dig into the words alongside you and help you to mold, shift, structure and draw out everything that will make it into a piece you are proud to give to the world, all while preserving your voice. And the best way for us to hear you? Let it out, unrestrained, right from the start.
The secret to it all is that there is no secret ingredient. It’s just you. And as an animated film-lover myself, I wanted to gift you this scene from Kung Fu Panda 1 where Po (the panda and main character played by Jack Black) learns this lesson with stark clarity. I invite you to watch, to reflect, and then to make a bold move: pick up a pen or open a document on your computer and breathe – let go of all perfectionism and write. Let it be unpolished. Let it be ugly. Let it be unclear. Just don’t stop writing.
You’ll know the second you find the magic and there won’t be any way to stop you when this is your method time and time again. And when you’re ready, we’ll be right here waiting to join the journey with you.
Still wanting a bit more encouragement or a space to begin? Don’t forget to join us on our Monday evening writing hour at 7 pm CST (zoomwithashleyeliabeth.com) ! It’s free, low-stakes, and open to all.
There is always space for you here at Wildly Free.
~ Ashley Elizabeth
