You can’t fall asleep because a steady stream of ideas keeps you awake. In the shower you’re the ultimate creative genius. But when you sit down at your keyboard, your mind is a complete blank and you scroll through your social media feed for an hour. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Starting projects sucks. But it doesn’t have to.

Don’t Start At The Beginning

Some creative writers begin their book with its last scene. They know how they want the hero changed by their journey (the a character arc). Maybe the author knows where the setting will be, or what the protagonist feels.

Working backwards, the author plots their way to the beginning of the book until they’ve reached a reasonable starting point for the novel.

Use a cause-and-effect model to determine how and why your character got to the last scene in the book. Brainstorm the possibilities and pursue the paths that feel best.

Ask Yourself Two Questions

There are no two stronger questions for character development and world building than what if and why. These open-ended questions open the door to lengthy answers, answers with as much detail as you wish.

Why are two dissimilar robots stranded on a desert planet? What if pirates overtake a skeleton crew of sailors on a shipping vessel?

As you investigate these questions, your story and characters develop. You may also find that you’re able to distill your book’s synopsis down to the ever-valuable elevator pitch.

Talk To Yourself

I often talk to myself or run lines of dialogue when I’m not able to be present at my keyboard, like when I’m driving or exercising. If I don’t have time to write down a phrase that strikes a cord in me, I send myself a text or make an audio recording for later.

When the time is right, I transcribe that phrase and start with a springboard for the rest of my story.

Avoid The Blank Page

Staring at that blank page of a new chapter for too long? Try writing the first sentence of your new chapter immediately following your hook from the previous one.

If you have to, fool yourself by writing the next chapter’s first sentence in the same paragraph as the current chapter’s ending hook, then copy-paste it into a new chapter. When next you sit down, your characters are mid-action, ready to take you further along their journey.

Reward Yourself When You Start

Why wait until you’ve finished a manuscript to give yourself the recognition for a job well done? Set goals that meet your lifestyle and when you reach that SMART goal, celebrate.

You establish a positive feedback loop inside your body. Youll instinctively crave more. Who doesn’t want more cupcakes (or the equivalent non-fattening, non-allergenic euphoric uplift)?

Starting Projects Sucks When You Don’t Start Projects

Whether your new project is a manuscript, a chapter, or any other creative endeavour, the desire to start from scratch fades when a long time has passed without that reward of a job well done.

That reward you give yourself? It builds upon each success. Find the groove that works for you and keep at it. The more you accomplish something you desire, the more you’ll want to do it. Then new projects aren’t daunting, or something you have to do because it’s Monday and you need to get a blog post out.

Not that that’s ever happened to me.

Nope.