Begin a Romance with Writing: Song, Private Time & Breaking Rules

When we're attracted to another person we have become clumsy.  We're not sure how much to say or do. We don't want to move too fast, nor lose the opportunity to connect

Becoming an author, for some, creates similar anxieties. We doubt, we hesitate and then we criticize ourselves for not starting and flourishing.

If you are a startup author who feels resistance to writing, treat your relationship as a romance. Observe your feelings. Objectify the feelings that are stopping you from reaching for a pen.

You may expect your writing, or your writing career, to happen all at once. But is that how a deep and lasting relationship develops?

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Yes, sometimes great relationships begin in a flash. Some artists find their calling in a flash of recognition. They know what they were meant to do and waste no time diving in.

That type of romance is not necessarily typical. You may yearn for it, have the best of intentions, and continue to be disappointed. 

Or you may recognize that becoming an author is a along-term commitment that will gradually bear fruit. If you begin.

Start your journey by loving the modest portions of time you have to express your desire to be an author.  
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"I want to hold your hand"
the #Beatles
now that's a #startup idea
   
Have a romance with your writing. Swoon. Seduce. Love it. Anticipate the 10-minutes per day you will devote to it, then give your full attention to it with the same fervor you bring to your other passions.

And long for it when you must tend to other responsibilities. But here's the thing: When you get the chance to be with your lover, do you hesitate to consummate?

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​#startup is not a state of mind
it is a state of DOING
even when
not much seems to be working
 
 
Over the years I have heard so many people say, “I’ve always wanted to write.”
 
Then why don’t they?

In the beginning, writing is not art nor is it ready for public consumption. It is a willingness to try, to fail, and to risk that you might discover that you are not a writer. (Don’t believe it. The greatest writers of any age have had doubts. And then they pulled out their pen, pencil or laptop … and started again.)

More to the point, when you are with your lover do you think about your lover? No, you finally have the opportunity to express what you are feeling. You engage. Writing is no different.

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too many rules
you don’t live anymore, #startup
when you have
too many rules
 
My French waiter said as much one day when the restaurant was too hot. So, he opened the front door to a noisy, sunny street and welcomed a soothing breeze.
 
He had broken a rule. The owner insisted that the entrance be closed so that customers were not annoyed by flies.
 
The waiter was incredulous. “When you go on a picnic you never experience fly?”
 
Dear startup author, break a rule—but always write, no matter what the “boss” says. After all, when you have the chance to write, it is no different than having private time with your lover. Engage. 

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