How Can I Get Started In Creative Writing? I'm Scared To Start.

The biggest obstacle to overcome for many people starting out in creative writing is simply their inhibitions. There are exercises to help with this.

Try 'journaling', or writing down your thoughts and feelings regularly in a notebook. Whether you write in it daily, weekly or whenever you get the chance, a journal gets you in the habit of putting your thoughts on paper.

Another way to get started is 'free writing'. In this exercise, you sit down for a chunk of time and write on a piece of paper whatever comes to mind. Don't censor yourself, simply get the thoughts down on paper. You may choose to free write for ten minutes, half an hour or whatever time frame suits you. You may be surprised at what comes out - perhaps some ideas that will be the seeds for a short story, poem or novel. However, the important thing is not so much what you write as the fact that you are writing. Getting your thoughts down on paper, whatever they are, is a great way to cross the barrier of fear about getting started.

The more journaling and free writing you do, the easier they will become. These exercises are helpful for beginning as well as more experienced writers.