On the Starting Line (Holly Schindler)

How many times have I wished it could be this simple? 

Just put your toes on the starting line, and the path is already laid out in front of you. All you have to do is follow it. 

Yeah. Writing is never that easy. 

But when I start something new--could be a new book, a new drafting strategy, even learning to format my own work--I've learned the best thing to do is simply this:

Pick a small task. And figure out how to do that. 

Maybe that's importing a Word doc into InDesign. Maybe that's figuring out what it means to follow the "beats." Maybe that's researching brainstorming tactics. Maybe that's reading everything YA you can find to get a feel of a contemporary YA tone. Do just one task. And then do one more task after that. And another. 

Before you know it, that starting line will actually be way back there, behind your shoulder.