Just Start Writing: Inspiration 4 Writers

By M.A. Lee

Are stories swirling around? Are ideas to share whirling in your mind? Are you on a carousel, all colors and mirrors with unicorns and griffins and dragons to ride?

That carousel of ideas tempts you to step on and enjoy the ride—yet you hesitate to pass the gate and climb up and select a ride. It's too wondrous, too dreamlike for any reality.

Just Start Writing is designed to convince you to buy that ticket, walk through the gate, spy out the animal you want to ride, and climb on. The carousel is real, not a wonderful dream.

"Wait," you may say. "I've tried before. I've read writing guidebooks until my eyes glaze over. I joined a writing group. I scan Pinterest and read the links. Writing just—it looks overwhelming. It can't be that easy."

Writing is that easy.

Just pour those swirling ideas onto the page.

And you want this dream, don't you? Hasn't the dream of writing persisted? Don't you keep jotting ideas down? Aren't you investigating and exploring because you can't release the dream?

That was me. I've wanted to be a published writer since the Dark Ages. A few years ago I became serious about my dream. I set a deadline to publish my first book in 2015—and I succeeded! Since then, I haven't looked back. As M.A. Lee and my other two pseudonyms, I've published 30 titles, mostly fiction.

Now people ask, "How did you start writing?" and "How do you come up with all of those stories?"

Writers ask, "How do I start writing? and "Where do you get your ideas?"

See the difference in those questions? Most people don't care about the process. Writers want the process so they can apply it to their own carousels of struggles.

That's our first admission, you and me:  Writing can be a struggle. It's easy, but it's also a dizzy whirl.

• Time to Write
• What to Write
• Creating sense out of jumbled fragments.
• Discovering characters and plot.
• Playing with words so they say what we mean.

If these questions are yours—How do I start writing? and Where do you get your ideas?—then Just Start Writing is for you.

 

Writer M.A. Lee worked as a journalist and copy writer before pursuing the challenge of teaching high school students the triumvirate of literature, composition, and grammar+. Those years of teaching meant that she continued learning herself, sticking fingers into the writing craft and twisting things around to understand them before conveying that knowledge to students. Her motivational books and guidebooks for writers are proof that her internal teacher keeps presenting lessons.

Since beginning her self-publishing journey in 2015, M.A. Lee (under her pen names) has published more than 30 works of fiction and nonfiction.

• Language: English
• Publisher: M.A. Lee
• Release date: Oct 31, 2021
• ISBN: 9781734015942

Book preview

Just Start Writing

Inspiration 4 Writers ~ 1

by M.A. Lee

A close up of a logo Description automatically generated

Just Start Writing

Inspiration 4 Writers 1

Copyright © 2020 Emily R. Dunn doing business as M.A. Lee & Writers’ Ink

First electronic publishing rights: February 2020

All rights are reserved.

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded, or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the permission of the author or of Writers’ Ink.

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

This book is a work of non-fiction. Any names, characters, places, and incidents of fiction and nonfiction are cited by the author merely as explanation. Any persons or entity, existing or dead, are also cited by the author for the purposes of explanation. The author does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for third-party websites or their content.

Published in the United States of America.

www.writersinkbooks.com

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Cover Design by Deranged Doctor Design

Contents

Just Start Writing

Introduction

Be a Writer ~ 13 Steps for Dancing

Into the Labyrinth ~ A Writing Story

1st Bit of String

2nd Bit of String

3rd Bit of String

4th Bit of String

5th Bit of String

6th Bit of String

7th Bit of String

8th Bit of String

9th Bit of String

10th Bit of String

Into Wonderland

Rule 1

Rule 2

Rule 3

Acknowledgements

Where Do Writers Get Story Ideas?

Building a Book

In the Charts ~

Here are my stages.

Beginning the Story in April

May

June

July

August

Finishing in September

Deadline Match-Up

Hearts in Hazard by M.A. Lee

Nonfiction by M.A. Lee

Pen Names of M.A. Lee

Introduction

Welcome to Just Start Writing!

Since you’ve picked up this little book, you must be curious about writing, for yourself or someone else.

Are stories swirling around? Are ideas to share whirling in your mind? Are you on a carousel, all colors and mirrors with unicorns and griffins and dragons to ride?

That carousel of ideas tempts you to step on and enjoy the ride—yet you hesitate to pass the gate and climb up and select a ride. It’s too wondrous, too dreamlike for any reality.

I’m here to tell you to buy the ticket, walk through the gate, spy out the animal you want to ride, and climb on. The carousel is real, not a wonderful dream.

Wait, you may say. I’ve tried before. I’ve read writing guidebooks until my eyes glaze over. I joined a writing group. I scan Pinterest and read the links. Writing just—it looks overwhelming. It can’t be that easy.

Writing is that easy.

You want this dream, don’t you? Hasn’t the dream of writing persisted? Don’t you keep jotting ideas down? Aren’t you investigating and exploring because you can’t release the dream?

I know. That was me, too. I’ve wanted to be a published writer since the Dark Ages[1]. For years I tinkered with stories, yet I never pursued my dream. I played with the idea of climbing aboard the carousel.

A few years ago I decided to get serious about my dream. I set a deadline to publish my first book in 2015—and I succeeded! Since then, I haven’t looked back. As M.A. Lee and my other two pseudonyms, I’ve published 30 titles, mostly fiction. This little guidebook is part of a collection of nine titles specifically for new writers.

Now people ask, How did you start writing? and How do you come up with all of those stories?

Writers ask, "How do I start writing? and Where do you get your ideas?

See the difference in those questions? Most people don’t care about the process. Writers want the process so they can apply it to their own carousels of struggles.

That’s our first admission, you and me:  Writing is a struggle.

Time to Write

What to Write

Creating sense out of jumbled fragments.

Discovering characters and plot.

Playing with words so they say what we mean.

If these questions are yours—How do I start writing? and Where do you get your ideas?—then this little book is for you.

Read on. Glean what you need. Climb on that carousel—and Just