Baby Steps

While going through all my old writing idea folders, I found that the first folder was simply titled "50 Words". Inside, I found four 50-word short stories that I had written that I had never done anything with. Along with taking these little gems, dusting them off a bit, and doing some research on where I could send them, I also got a great idea for a blog entry.

When struggling to figure out where to start with your writing, whether you're new to it or have been doing it for years but you're a little rusty, my advice is to take baby steps. Think of a baby. A baby has a very short attention span. Many readers are the same. This is not a negative or derogatory comment. People are just busy these days. They're longing for an escape, but maybe they only have a few minutes to do so before they have to dive back into their real lives. I happen to be one of those people. A short story every now and then would be perfect for them.

Start with a very short story, a poem, an idea. Nothing says you have to have the next Great American Novel right out of the gate. Something simple yet impactful and meaningful to you will do. Polish that little gem up to the best of your ability. Maybe let some of your writing partners or friends read it to see what they think. Then send that little gem out into the world. 

If you're lucky, someone will pick that jewel up and want to share it with the world. Or maybe it stays hidden and no one finds it at all. But you've succeeded in taking that first step of finishing a project and submitting it for publication. That should be enough to pat yourself on the back and say, "Hooray! I did a thing!" As well you should. That in itself is no small feat.

For those who are taking these first steps (or 10th, or 100th), what are you working on? What have you submitted? What gems of yours has someone picked up and published recently? What's out there still waiting to be discovered?