8. 1. Assume the Position
• Get yourself ready to write by doing the
writing things.
2. Make the mind-body connection
• To get started writing, relax your mind
and allow your hand to move across the
page.
9. 3. Fill the paper
• Write anything; be sure to fill the
entire sheet of paper.
4. Visualize yourself writing
• You can write more easily if you imagine
yourself writing successfully.
10. 5. Change point of view
• When you start writing, try putting
yourself in someone else’s shoe for a
change.
6. Switch writing methods
If you usually write using computer, try
pencil and paper. Often the changes in
writing method help you get started.
11. 7. Use a brainstorming method
• Think of a topic. Write nonstop for ten
to fifteen minutes on your topic.
8. Picture a scene
• Some people are intensely visual. Start
your writing by describing what you
perceived w/ your five senses.
12. 9. Frame your material as a letter
• Even though it’s creative writing,
imagine it as a chat w/ a friend. You’ll
relax and your idea will flow.
10. Don’t start at the beginning
• Compose your writing from the middle
out or from the end to the beginning.
13. The Least You Need to Know
• Like moving on, starting to write is hard
to do.
• Writing and speaking are not the same.
You can’t write the way you speak.
• You can’t win it if you’re not in it: you
have to get your ideas down on paper if
you want to be a writer.
