First Edge—Starting Your Writing Journey in the New Year

FIRST EDGE - WEDNESDAYS
Welcome to First Edge, my Wednesday focus on beginning novelists. Here you'll find practical guidance, encouragement, and permission to start your writing journey. Whether you're thinking about writing or ready to begin, First Edge offers the support you need to take your first steps.

Merry Christmas!

So you want to write a novel in 2025. That dream has been waiting, hasn’t it? Waiting while you read craft books, watched writing videos, followed author blogs. Waiting while you thought about characters, imagined scenes, planned someday. Today, let’s turn someday into Day One.

Your Permission Slip

Dear Writer,

You have permission to:

• Write badly
• Start in the middle
• Not know the ending
• Change your mind
• Make mistakes
• Begin again
• Call yourself a writer

Signed,
A Fellow Beginner

Your First Steps

1. Choose Your Starting Point

• A character who won’t leave you alone
• A scene you can’t stop thinking about
• A question you need to explore
• A story that demands telling

1. Create Your Space

• A corner desk
• A favorite chair
• A morning coffee shop
• A quiet library nook

1. Set Your Schedule

• Early morning words
• Lunch break paragraphs
• Evening chapters
• Weekend writing

Simple Truths for Beginners

• All first drafts are messy
• Every published author started exactly where you are
• Your voice matters because it’s yours
• There’s no single “right” way to write
• You learn by doing

Your Writing Foundation

Start with:

• One dedicated writing hour
• One notebook or document
• One story idea
• One commitment to yourself

Build from there.

Practical First Week Plan

Day 1: Write character notes
Day 2: Sketch a scene
Day 3: Explore setting
Day 4: Draft dialogue
Day 5: Connect ideas
Day 6: Review and plan
Day 7: Begin your story

When Doubt Creeps In

Remember:

• Every writer starts as a beginner
• Perfect is the enemy of written
• Progress beats perfection
• Small steps create novels
• Today is always the right day to start

Moving Forward

Your novel begins with one word, then another. It grows sentence by sentence, scene by scene. The only magic is in starting, in putting words on the page, in giving yourself permission to begin.

2025 is your year to write. Not because you’re ready—no one ever feels completely ready. But because your story matters, and it’s time to tell it.

What will you write first?

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Use the Contact form to schedule a phone call or a Zoom meeting to discuss any aspect of your first novel. The first thirty-minute appointment is FREE.