Get in the Mood.

Some people write alone in a quiet place; others write in a crowded room. Both places will do if your mind is ready. Do whatever it takes to transport your mind to a place where you are alone with your thoughts. You might try putting on your earphones and listening to your favorite music. You might want to drink a glass of water or take a few deep cleansing breaths.

If your thoughts are jumbled, try counting backward from 10 or close your eyes and focus on a beautiful place you have visited.

Just start writing

It doesn’t matter what you write. Start an email that you have been mearning to write. Start a list of chores that you need to do when you get home. Start writing a list of words that have an interesting sound. Writing almost anything will help relax your mind and get you into the mood to write

Sketch Out Your Plan.

You don’t have to do any formal outlining, but it helps to have some kind of organization in place. If it’s a story or a novel, just try writing the plot down as if you were telling a friend about a movie you saw or a novel you read. No details are necessary, just the basic plot points.

If it’s a nonfiction piece, try writing chapter titles. You can always change them, add to them, or delete them.

Use Google to Research Your Topic.

You can find out just about anything you need to know by typing a question or a statement into Google. Just be sure that when you find the answer, you do not use it word for word in your own piece. Remember copyright infringement can get you into a whole lot of trouble.

Write your first draft.

Don’t waste a moment trying to come up with exactly the right words. Just start writing and let the words flow. A first draft is not the time to stop and think about commas, punctuation marks, and spelling. Just do it! Write.

Revise, Revise, Revise.

Put some time and distance between the first draft and the revision process. One way is to write a scene or a chapter one day and revise it the next.

Use every tool you have. Use the spell check on your software, use a dictionary, a thesaurus, and Google anything you are not sure about.

Read aloud what you have written to hear exactly where punctuation is needed and to listen for ways to improve the word choices you have made.

When you are pretty sure you have it the way you want it, read it backwards from the last sentenceto the first.

Now, you are ready to write another chapter or scene. And so it goes, on and on, until you finish your project.

Publish It!

When you are finished with your project, email it; submit it, post it, publish it. Get your writing out there for people to read and then write something else.

Visit Charlene Tess’ store to find help with your writing. Click here for a new freebie on using 3×5 cards to set up scenes.