Write before You’re Ready

I meant to start this blog three years ago.

Then I fell into a trap I encourage other writers to escape: I thought that because I wasn’t ready to do everything needed to run a blog “right,” I couldn’t even start. I had this vague idea of the components required for a professional editor’s website and blog, and I lacked too many of them.

I didn’t have webpages for all my editing services yet.

I wasn’t confident in all the pages I did have.

I wasn’t ready to commit to a posting schedule.

I thought I needed to be good at all the less exciting and more difficult aspects of maintaining my website before I could do the part I’d find more rewarding.

In truth, I already had the two most important components: a message to share and a desire to write. I love sharing tips with writers, and a blog is a great way to do that! But I downplayed the importance of my message and desire. I didn’t let myself work on the most exciting part of my website—the blog. My motivation tanked. And for a long time, I didn’t do much with my website at all.

You know what advice I’d give someone else in this situation? If you have a message to share and a desire to write, don’t wait.

Start that blog, that book, that essay. Don’t get so focused on doing things the “right way” that you don’t do anything at all. Learn as you go. Make mistakes. Have fun.

“But what about _____?”

I’m not saying the more tedious tasks, intimidating steps, and practical details aren’t important.

In my case, I really do need to improve other parts of my website. After all, this blog has two goals: The first to is to help and encourage writers. The second is to attract potential clients. As such, I’d better ensure my website represents my services well.

In the case of bigger projects, there’s even more to consider. Say you’re writing a book: You may need to improve your dialogue-writing skills or research your book’s setting. You may still need to weigh the pros and cons of self-publishing. All these things matter—assuming you care about reaching and delighting your audience.

But no one task matters more than the overall writing or publishing goal. If a task keeps you from writing indefinitely, rearrange your tasks.

Rethink “ready.”

Don’t wait until you’re 100 percent ready to proceed with your writing project. Instead, remember:

1. You only have to be ready for your first step—and it’s okay to do some steps “out of order.” Start with whatever part of your project is most doable or most exciting for you. This will help you build momentum.
2. This is your writing journey. It should accommodate your message, your passion, and your unique brain. Your path to publication may be vastly different than your favorite author’s. Your path to a successful blog may differ from the path recommended in the articles you read. And since it’s your path, you’re ready by default.
3. You don’t have to be “ready” to write by yourself. Someone else has the knowledge, experience, and motivation you need. So if you get stuck, ask for help. Join a writers’ group. Take a class. Hire a coach, an editor, or a book-marketing expert. Read the relevant parts of a craft-related book. Process your ideas with a trusted friend.

One more time, for my sake as well as yours: Don’t hold yourself back with a bunch of conditions you have to meet before you’re “ready” to write. Any prep work should propel your writing, not prevent it. You have something to write. You want to write it. That’s enough for now.

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Thank you for reading! There are plenty more posts to come. I’ll share writing and editing tips, industry insights, and grammar trivia that I find useful or exciting. And I’ll keep it casual; this may be a “professional” website, but if I take it too seriously, I’ll never write another post. So try not to take the comments too seriously, either. Don’t fret over catching all your typos or grammar errors. This is a judgment-free zone.

Now, I’d like to hear from you: What keeps you from starting your writing projects? What helps you move forward?