A secret ingredient to making fine art. Is knowing when to stop and when to start. ~ Janice Cartier
The Confident Writing theme for January is Start!
(Well yes, it did seem kind of appropriate for the beginning of a new year 
)
During the course of the month I’ll be looking at:
- What writing you’re starting this month (or year)
- What you might need to stop in order to start
- Tips and tricks for starting a writing project, big or small
- How writing things down (in a journal, a doodle, a line of a poem, in one word or three words or a series of posts) can help us to get started with new projects, dreams and ambitions
I’m also going to (try and) start blogging in a slightly different way, with a slightly slower posting schedule, more short posts, and an increased focus on supporting and encouraging you to write with confidence and take your writing where you want it to go.
Starting now 
I like your site and have returned to fine tuning my sci-fi fantasy pages written and started 5 years ago. Yes, sad it is, but it seems that my energy comes only during the winter months. Have flip-flop from a script to a book because I feel a book can get published faster.
Fantastic topic Joanne. I feel like I’m starting rather a lot in the next month or two, so some pearls of wisdom would not go (Martin) amiss.
.-= Iain Broome – Write for Your Life´s last blog ..Write for Your Life is one year old today! =-.
Ah, the blank page of the new year — always a call to Start!
I’ve started writing more in-depth about narcissism and how to avoid narcissists with the upcoming eb00k collaboration with Betsy Wuebker. It has been a catalyst for much healing!
I’m also trying to keep up with newsletter for those who have downloaded my self defense eb00k, which is now free. I’m want to put more of my quirky personality into the newsletters, but the teacher part of me still likes to take control.
These two projects are keeping me busy, but I hope to finally get some time to write on that novel of mine that has a pile of memtal dust on it. I need to stop the procrastination on this and carve out some time.
As always, thank you for being the supportive voice for writers!
.-= Lori Hoeck´s last blog ..Why are narcissists such crazy-makers? =-.
I am learning that I do have to stop some things before I can begin others. I am guilty of starting too much at times, being a right-brain type with tons of ideas. But then things sit unfinished and that makes me feel bad. So this year I’m working on finishing things, or at least coming to an acknowledged ending with them, before I start something new. Of course, it helps that I finished a novel shortly before last year ended, so I get to start a new one this year. Yay!
I’m excited about this theme Joanna! For a variety of reasons, this seems like a great time in my life to begin something new …
I always call the beginning of a new week (or month…year…decade) “clean slate time.” All negativity is in the past and we should move on to positive beginnings.
I’m looking forward to your new beginning.
I’m in the same place Iain seems to be in, if I read him right: I am beginning a lot of new projects both this month and this year. Or, maybe, it’s Anaise that I resemble: beginning *again* with writing projects dropped for one reason or another.
And because I have so many yammering for my attention, I can’t wait to see what you recommend a writer “should stop in order to start” writing. I just hope its not one of my darlings.
Thanks (in advance) for your insights.
Hi Joanna. Last year at this time I felt as though I was standing at the bottom of a mountain facing a long climb. This year I feel as though I’m making my way down a mountain. What’s great about that “knowing” is that it’s not conditional. There are still doubts and uncertainties to deal with, but somehow the perspective has changed. I think I “started” a year ago and have finally reached cruising altitude.
.-= Davina´s last blog ..Mother Nature Waits for Nobody =-.
Thanks for pointing out that we might need to stop something in order to start.
This year I begin the 3rd year of my blog and am posting better posts on a regular schedule. Because I lost a number of articles when I changed hosts or templates a few times, I’m starting over in some respects. I’ve found my voice and hit my stride.
Since I recently published my book , I will sharing tips with aspiring authors in an author’s roundtable. I will create a handbook for them.
.-= Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D.´s last blog ..Confessions of a Reformed Gadget Snob =-.
Joanna, as I read I heard the sound of engines revving.
This is a perfect theme for a new decade and new year. Before anything can happen we need to start. While it seems intuitive, we do not always do it. Looking forward to your posts. xx
Joanna,
Great theme for the new year! I’m ready to start getting serious about a couple of projects I started after Christmas: a novelette about “True Love’s Gifts,” and a short story about a war-worn captain. In addition to those projects, I want to get a new, fresh start on my poetry this year, and take it to a new level.
Thank you for your insightful and inspiring posts.
-Tyrean
.-= Tyrean´s last blog ..Word of the Day: Tortuous =-.
Starting, stopping and restarting, great theme, Joanna! We all make tons of plans with what to do but rarely have an idea when and how to start or what to stop doing to make room for what’s important.
.-= Alina Popescu´s last blog ..Do you know how to listen to people? =-.
Joanna,
)
January is a PERFECT month for that theme. I have a new thing that is helping me SO much in this stopping and starting conflict that so many of us face. It’s called “100% collection” and is clearing huge space in my mind for starting. I’ll write about it in an upcoming post. For now, let me say, I love the theme and the quote, LOL. And thank you. And today is Epiphany, how fitting .
( Hmm…the quote, hm…sounds rather Seuss-like when I read it back… I may have to work on some more lines for it… into the works it goes as well.
I look forward to your new posting rhythm and style.
.-= Janice Cartier´s last blog ..Epiphany, Small Steps =-.
[...] does that mean for the writing you want to start in [...]
@ Anaise, thanks for letting us know about the sci-fi fantasy plans… sounds fun
Energy goes in cycles like the seasons… you might as well write when you have the energy for it! Good luck with the writing
@ Iain, I hesitate to offer pearls of wisdom… but it’s a recurring issue in the comment box, so I’ll see what I can do
@ Lori, wow, that’s a lot of different things going on. I love the way you can identify the different voices in your work… that’s definitely black belt writing skills
@ Charlotte, I like the idea of an ‘acknowledged ending’ as well as actually finishing something. Well done on finishing the novel though
@anna, me too. Glad you’ll be joining us for the ride
@ Deb, that’s a good philosophy – when I see all the energy round about at the start of the year it does get you wondering why we can’t use the same approach at the start of a month, week, or day too…
@ ellanbethia, I promise not to suggest killing any of your darlings
But your comment has given me lots of food for thought, thank you.
@ Davina – wow. That’s fabulous. What a good feeling. Enjoy cruising
@ Flora, sounds like you have a lot of great stuff going on – thanks for letting us know about some of it.
@ Karen, it would be so good to know *why* though, wouldn’t it? I mean, why we don’t start when we say we want to…? I’d love to gain some insights into that this month!
@ Tyrean those projects sound fascinating… I’m sure your poetry will take you fabulous places too. Keep us posted on how you’re going!
@ Alina, hello there! I think part of it is perspective – keeping in sight the things we really want to do (or think we really want….?)
@ Janice, Okay so now I can’t wait to hear more. I’ll stay tuned! It was fun quoting you… thought it would make you smile, you being a writer an’ all
[...] Start at the start. I am somehow drawn to pink in January. Goes way back, but here we are. I came across this pink flower someone sent me and itched to draw it. Those tentacle like petals, the movement in them, captured my eye. I drew it. A quick sketch to see if I should pursue it any further. Then along came that cuttle fish, the one with the Serengeti-like pattern of sepia and gold on its back? Yep, did a quick doodle of him too and noticed that pattern is very linked to the big wetlands pieces I do. [...]
I’m looking forward to “How writing things down…” I’m constantly writing in a notepad and would like to know how to make the most of it.
.-= Carla´s last blog ..Check us out on Facebook! =-.
I have started to use a to do list and pen and paper, that’s really a start for me. I get a lot more things done this way. I find it a lot easier to write when using a pen and paper, and knowing beforehand what to write.
.-= Jens P. Berget´s last blog ..A SEO Company You Can Trust =-.
[...] I have embraced Joanna’s January theme of Start! And I’ve chosen Focus! as my own theme for the [...]
@ Carla – I’ll see what I can do to help on that front – it’s a topic I’m really interested in
@ Jens, I know a lot of people find their words flow better / differently with pen and paper. Interesting about knowing beforehand what you’re going to write – that certainly works when we want to get something written… but of course the opposite applies when we want to figure out what’s going on in our heads!
[...] piece is a contribution to the theme of Start! Stay tune for more while we run through [...]
[...] mentioned in the launch post for the ’start’ series that I’d include something on: How writing things down (in a journal, a doodle, a line of a [...]
[...] wonderful comment from ellanbethia has been rumbling at the back of my mind since the launch of the start theme at [...]