How to get into the right mindset for writing

You’ve sat down to write your book, and you’re not sure how to get started and in the right mindset for writing. The blank screen in front of you seems ominous and you begin to doubt yourself. Your inner critic asks you the questions ‘who are you to write a book?’, ‘who wants to listen to what you have to say?’,  and ‘you’re no good at writing’.

As your mind chatters away, you wonder if you’re ever going to write your book or whether it’ll just remain a pipedream.

You find better things to do in your writing time. You get distracted by bright shiny objects, you find an excuse to do something else, and you procrastinate over getting your book done.

But is having a half finished or barely started book what you really want? If your book is important to you, how would you like to get into the right mindset for writing?

Here are my top 7 tips.

1. Don’t worry about what other people might say or edit as you go. Just getting something down on paper is a good starting point, and you can go back over it later if you’re not sure you’ve got the message across in the best way.

2. Focus on what you’re really good at and remember your successes rather than letting the doubts getting in the way.  The more you sabotage your success, the less likely you are to actually ever write your book.

3. When you have a plan, it will be easier to write your book. You’ll have a clear structure to work from and you’ll be less likely to have a blank screen in front of you as you’ll know what happens next.

4. If you worry about whether anyone’s going to read your book, they never will if you don’t actually write it! If you have an important message to share, get on and put it down on paper and develop the courage to overcome your fears.

5. Do something that will motivate you before you start to write. Go for a walk, do a gym workout or sing! To be in the right mindset for writing, your creative juices need to be flowing. If you’ve just begrudgingly got out of bed or you’re writing only because you feel you ought to, this will not help you to get in the right mindset for writing.

6. One of the best things to do is remove distractions. Give yourself a good chunk of time to write without anything getting in your way. Get rid of unneeded paperwork, turn off all electronic goods and focus on the next thing that you have planned to actually write.

7. Lastly, getting support, accountability and motivation from others is an excellent tip. When people are regularly asking how you are getting on, you’ll probably want to be able to give them a favourable progress review.

What do you need to do to get into the right mindset for writing? Feel free to add any additional tips in the comments area below.