Write for fun. You don’t have to take it seriously. Relax. Enjoy. Let the words flow. As they say, better out than in!
When you first put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), it’s all about you. What you want to say, what you want to share, what you want to feel. Nobody else need ever read it if you don’t want them to. Sure, professional writers write for an audience, but deep down we really write for ourselves. For the sheer, unadulterated pleasure of creating our own little world and then gleefully escaping into it. After all, if writing isn’t enjoyable then why bother to do it?
Stressing about the words just hampers your efforts, making you feel self-conscious and slowing the flow. Some people get so freaked out they give up before they even start, depriving themselves of a lot of fun.
Like, fixing your spelling and grammar and tightening your sentence structure. And make sure the words say what you meant them to say, because they don’t always. But until then, let go of your anxieties. Writing isn’t a chore, or a duty, or a punishment. It’s a joy.
It helps us work out the stuff that’s in our head (it’s cheaper than therapy!) and connect with others who might just be feeling the same way. Have fun with your writing. Play with it. Be as serious or as silly as you like. And then, when you feel ready, let the world share the joy!
Stella Tarakson