When you were a tiny child, before you could walk or talk, you weren't thinking about college, or business school, your eventual career, or financial status. You didn't think about your home or car. You knew what you could see, what you could eat, what you waved your chubby little fist at. You knew that poop got magically whisked away from your adorable little rear end. Ahh, those were the days.
Let's go back to those days, only now, you have your writing utensil in your chubby little fist. This is how you are going to start. With only what you have in your head. As you put words down on the page, you are creating the world that you want to see. Whether it is a conversation or an object. Every detail you put down is a step built. And the more steps you build, the more of that world you can see. And you want to see the whole wonderful novel spread out before you. Every evil doer, every pair of shoes or lovely dress, every flash of light, or explosion. All the sights, sounds, emotion.
When you finish, you will no longer be that tiny child, waving that chubby fist. You'll be a mountain with one hand on the page and the other inspiring laughter, tears, expressions of disbelief, or even "oh.." very quietly. You'll have a magical wand that transports you to a brand new place. The past, the future, or somewhere that doesn't exist at all.
And every single one of us will start at the same place, on the same level. No matter who we are or the writing experience we've had. We're all taking our journeys and making steps. And even if no one but us reads those words, it is an integral part of who we are, to take this journey.
Maybe we don't write the whole thing this year. We succeeded in that we started. We created. We participated. We put words down. Maybe you spend the rest of the year dabbling in it. Maybe you even find that you don't like this writing thing. You could, however, find that the words just pour from you, your worlds are expressive and enjoyable, you never want to leave!
You've learned about yourself, and that counts too. Those steps are all you, and you are wonderful.