Writing isn't rocket science

People like to overcomplicate writing. I can see why—writing a book is a big undertaking, and it’s easy to get in your own head. You have an amazing idea, but you wonder how it could possibly go from concept to finished product. Everything you need to do swirls in your mind—from plotting to character building to drafting to editing—and the process seems daunting. The mere thought of it will defeat you if you let it.

But I have good news: writing isn’t rocket science.

Writing is more like a construction project. You create a solid blueprint with an outline and character biographies, and then, if you want to build something, you have to get to work—one brick at a time. If you write words, they become pages. If you write pages, they become chapters. If you write chapters, they become drafts. If you edit drafts, they become novels. And if you do it enough times, you get good at it. So the key isn’t to focus on what your writing needs to become. It’s to focus on writing each day and to let it evolve through practice.

If you clear a forest one tree at a time, someday you’ll look up and realize only a meadow remains. It’s the same with your book. So concentrate on what you need to do today—the next step in the journey—and someday you'll look up and realize how far you’ve come. The world can’t read the stories that are only in your head, so if you have one you want to share, start writing it today. One word at a time.