If only things were so easy. But then again, aren't they? It is only our crazy thinking that makes things like writing complicated.

I started writing my novel, Love & Hysteria, yesterday. 

I can't tell you how to begin writing your novel, as there are so many ways, but here's the path I took.

I pulled out my pink notebook, the one dedicated to L&H, and wrote down a song lyric I heard the day before (it sparked something). I started from that lyric and told myself that, even if I didn't want to use any of what I wrote as the beginning later on, at least I was getting something onto the page.

I wrote a little in my notebook from my main character, Eva's point of view (it's diary style). I...she...wrote about hearing those words, the ones from the song. Then I skipped to the end of what I think the First Act will be, when everything changes in Eva's comfortable world.

I've given myself permission to skip around.

Today I opened Scrivener and typed out the stuff I wrote yesterday. I wanted to write fresh material as well, so I skipped back to the beginning and had Eva write about the first day she went to the asylum (where my story takes place). I described what she saw and felt. 

To help get the words flowing I put on an instrumental playlist in Spotify. I almost always have to have music playing in order to write. Usually instrumental. This playlist/radio station was created from the song "A Sky Full of Flowers" by Jeff Bright Jr. All the songs are melancholic piano tunes. Perfect for my story's mood.

I'll tell you that both yesterday and today I was afraid of beginning. More so yesterday. Today I just wanted to tune out, maybe take a nap, but a larger part of me said, "Cassandra, the longer you put it off, the longer you won't have a completed novel. No regrets." 

I took my computer to the bedroom, sat in front of the fan, and wrote. Not thousands of words, but I wrote and that's what's important.

If you're having trouble starting, my advice is to just do it. Begin anywhere - with a lyric or quote or the smell of roses. Begin with a feeling or a place. Begin with music playing. None of it has to mean anything and can be chucked out later. The point is to get you going. And it's much easier to keep going once the wheels are up.

Baby steps. No regrets.

The quote above is by novelist Caroline Leavitt. You can read the full interview here. 

It's exactly what I needed to read. I've finished plotting my novel, for the most part. Let's just say it's at the point where I can stop the constant research, and there's a basic bone structure to work with. That was the easy part.

Now the hard part comes - facing the blank page. Where do I start? Do I write the first lines or begin somewhere in the middle?

And there are all those fears the inner critic brings to mind: 

• what if I write for hours and it's all crap?
  
• what if I get half way through the novel and I have to start over?
  
• what if I get stuck somewhere along the way and abandon it just like I've done with every other novel I've started (2 or 3 at least)?
  

And then there's the whole idea (excuse?) that I need the perfect set up and time and place to begin. You know, like I need complete quiet or some soft background music, along with a magical candle burning. This whole ritual before I can start writing.

But the house is never quiet and the ideal time never comes. 

That's not true. Even when the ideal moment happens, I do something else like play a game on my phone or take a nap. 

All of these excuses and wasted time is fear. Fear of starting.

That's why what Caroline said stirred my spirit. Sometimes one must stare at the screen for awhile, then write whatever comes to mind. It might take weeks before the good stuff comes pouring out. And even then it might not be so good, but at least it's something. Words to work with.

Even if it's all crap, it's not wasted.

It's my intention to finish this novel, no matter what. When stuff starts to feel hard, I won't look to the next shiny, new idea. I'll stick with this story because it's important to me. It's the story I've always wanted to write. I think it's a good story and I want to bring it to life.

And I want to document this process, to take anyone who's interested along on the journey. Because someday, if I do what I say I'm going to do and the book gets published, someone might want to know how I did it and I can point them to these pages. 

These are the questions I asked.
These are the challenges I faced.
These are the routines.
These are the tools I used.
Here's my inspiration.
This is how I did it.

I hope you'll follow along, especially if you've always wanted to write a novel. 

Let's find out what kind of adventure this really is.