Getting Started

Beginning any new venture is both exciting and scary. Exciting because of the new roads you will be taking, but also scary because you don't quite know where those roads will take you. When I started I went in full speed ahead without a plan; my first piece of advice is "start with a plan".

It is important to have a plan. As they say, "hindsight is 20/20"; let your hindsight revelations be minimal and do it right from the beginning. I am here to make you aware of the mistakes that can be made, and ways to avoid them. Drawing up a plan doesn't have to take hours; a rough sketch of what goals you hope to accomplish is a good start.

Get out your pen and paper and ask yourself the following questions:

1. How much time do I have to devote to my writing?
2. What is my main reason for pursuing a writing career?
3. What are some other reasons for choosing this path? (List as many as you like.)
4. Will I have the support from my family and friends? (If you do, that is wonderful; if not don't let it stop you from achieving your goals. There are many resources available for support; links and information will be provided in future posts.)
5. What do I want to write about? What is my area of expertise?
6. Can I survive financially if I quit my job to pursue this career full time? 
7. Am I ready to face rejection? (Believe me, there will be rejection; but don't give up!)
8. Is my spelling, grammar and punctuation up to par? (There is nothing more irritating to me than reading an article or blog post in which the author did not take the time to spell check. I will stop reading posts with bad grammar and sentence structure. It is lack of moderating on some sites that gives them a bad name.)
9. Where do I want to submit my work? Online? Offline? Both?
10. Do I have a good word processing program?

These questions should help you lay out the basics for your venture. Remember, this is just the beginning and you will change things as you go. The questions have no right or wrong answers. This is also a list you may wish to share with family (provided the answer to #4 is "yes"). 

When you have answered the above questions, pick one and write the answer in the comments section. I will elaborate on the topic in a future post. This way, you learn more about the topic and I can help clarify any questions. 

I look forward to seeing your answers! 

Diane