The Ingredients

For the past few days, I've been wondering what on Earth I will blog about on my first post. I've read the wonderful posts my friends have put up and I feel I can't write anything that good. However, I must, so here we go!

There are a few things I think are really important to have or do when writing. First and foremost, you need a support group. I hadn't written in months and months because I thought I was too busy. At the beginning of November however, my friends convinced me to join NaNoWriMo with them. I don't have enough words as of today to even dream of winning NaNo this year, but I needed that push from my friends to start writing again. They got me going when I had months of self-induced writer's block. If you've got a support group, you can run ideas that you're iffy about past them, you can ask them for random ideas like names, or you can find inspiration in them. It really does change the whole writing process when you have a group that is going through it with you.

Another thing that I believe is very important is some form of planning. It doesn't have to be anything terribly detailed, but it should be enough that you have something to write off. I had to deal with this first hand at the beginning of NaNo. I decided that I was going to do NaNo on the first day of NaNo. Needless to say, I was rushed, getting myself together for it. I decided that for the month, I'd work on a project I'd thought of over the summer. I only had the basics written down, and it became apparent in my writing that I didn't know my characters very well. I'd only bothered with the main character in jotting down my ideas over the summer and when it came to actually writing, that showed.

Last but not least, you need to just write. I know all too well how easy it to just say you're too busy or to say that you'll start writing next weekend. I also know how easy it is to just write between classes or during a spare minute or two at work. We all have busy lives, but if you really want to write, you can always find a little time here or there to jot something down. Once you get going again, it'll be much easier to continue. All you need is that first plunge.