Three things I learned by starting to write

A novice science fiction writer gathers tips from everywhere.

I began writing science fiction three years ago this month. It’s something I had long wanted to do, but I didn’t think I had the time and I wondered whether I had the talent.

Oh, I could write. I could write polite business letters turning down proposals. I could write lengthy contract clauses, detailing complicated procedures for dealing with unlikely scenarios. And I was a demon at bullet-point-rich Powerpoint presentations.

But to make up a story from nothing but imagination and a good vocabulary? That was new and exciting and deceptively hard.

This is one of a series of short pieces on how I gathered writing tips from everyday life. This one is about the tips I learned from actually putting my hands to the keyboard and writing that first page of the first chapter of the first story.

1. Deciding to write is scary.

Deciding I wanted to write was my first big decision. Sitting in front of a blank page, whether paper or electronic, is a big scary step all in itself. It’s a commitment to yourself, even if you never let anyone else read what you’ve written.

I was filled with doubt. Can I finish what I start? Would my story be good? Would I even to able to tell if it’s good or not?

Those questions are easy to answer: Sometimes you won’t be able to finish. Your first stories will be mediocre. You won’t be a good judge of your own work.

None of those are a reason to stop writing.

You’ll find something you feel strongly enough about to bring to a conclusion. You’ll find ways to get help with your writing. You’ll get better.

2. You probably already know what you want to write.

What to write? You probably have that one covered, whether you know it or not. Some image, or situation, or possibility has been lurking in the back of your mind.

What if?

That’s the stepping off point for your story. It can be humorous or deadly serious. Maybe the story you have germinating in your head is so emotional and personal to you that you’ll never want to show it to anyone else.

If that’s the story you need to write, then write it. Many writers start with the story they’ve been repressing for years, just to get it out, like therapy. Too painful? Can’t finish it? That’s all right. Put it away, and someday, later, you’ll look at it again and make it the basis for a whole new story.

But now you’ve started to write, and the next story will come easier.

3. Writing is full of decisions.

At first, I was overwhelmed by the decisions for each story. Is my main character going to be young or old? Male, female or questioning? Should I write in first person or third person? Present tense or past tense?

Those are just mechanics. Write the way it’s most comfortable for you. If you find a reason to change, you can change it later.

Just begin. And good luck!