Tag: WritingJourney

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?

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.

The Pencil’s Philosophy—From Questions to Stories: A Writer’s Journey

THE PENCIL'S PHILOSOPHY - THURSDAYS
Welcome to The Pencil's Philosophy, my Thursday focus on writing as transformation. Here you'll explore how writing connects to deeper understanding, how questioning leads to growth, and how stories transform both writer and reader. Whether you're seeking truth or finding your voice, these posts guide your journey of discovery.

My journey from certain answers to courageous questions began with a pencil and a blank page. After sixty years of accepting inherited truths, I discovered that writing fiction opened doors to deeper understanding.

Writing demands honesty. When crafting characters, we can’t hide behind comfortable assumptions. Our characters must face hard truths, make difficult choices, and question everything—just as we must do in our own journey of growth.

Today, working on my twelfth novel, I’ve learned that authentic stories emerge from authentic questioning. Each time my characters face a crisis of belief, confront uncomfortable truths, or challenge accepted wisdom, they’re exploring the same territory I navigated in my transformation from CPA and attorney to novelist and story coach.

Three Truths About Writing and Growth:

1. Questions Lead to Stories

Every powerful story starts with “What if?” When we dare to question our assumptions, we find characters doing the same. Their journeys mirror our own search for truth.

2. Stories Lead to Understanding

Through fiction, we explore different perspectives, challenge our beliefs, and discover new ways of seeing the world. Our characters teach us as much as we teach them.

3. Understanding Leads to Growth

As our characters evolve through their stories, we evolve through our writing. Each draft becomes a step in our own transformation.

Your Story Journey:

Whether you’re writing your first novel or your twelfth, embrace the questions that arise. Let your characters challenge comfortable beliefs. Trust that your story will lead you to deeper understanding.

“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.”

– Anaïs Nin

Remember: The truest stories come from the courage to question everything.

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Note: If this is your first appointment, you do not have to pay. I offer a FREE—initial consultation.

December 1st: The Pencil’s Edge Begins Its New Chapter

Welcome to the transformed Pencil’s Edge! As someone who wrote his first novel at age 60 and is now working on number twelve, I understand both the courage it takes to begin and the guidance needed to finish. Today marks an exciting evolution in my ability to help others on their writing journey – I’m now a Fictionary Certified StoryCoach Editor, focusing exclusively on helping beginning novelists find their voice and strengthen their stories.

Whether you have just a spark of an idea or a complete first draft, The Pencil’s Edge is here to support your journey through five focused categories:

Sharpening the Edge

Join me in real time as I share insights from writing my current novel. You’ll see the challenges, breakthroughs, and solutions as they happen. Currently working through Chapter 17, I’ll show you exactly how I handle scene structure, character development, and plot momentum.

Edge Coach

As a Fictionary Certified StoryCoach Editor, I’ll share professional insights into story structure, character development, and scene crafting. From your first scene to your final chapter, learn techniques that will strengthen your writing and engage your readers.

First Edge

Specifically designed for beginning writers, this category offers encouragement, practical guidance, and permission to write imperfectly. Remember, every novelist – even those with dozens of books – had to write their first scene. Let’s start yours.

The Pencil’s Philosophy

Writing is more than a craft – it’s a journey of discovery. Here, we’ll explore how writing connects to deeper understanding, how questioning leads to growth, and how stories can transform both writer and reader.

Edge of Reality

Our monthly feature examines current events through a writer’s lens. We’ll explore how real-world stories can inform our fiction and deepen our understanding of both craft and human nature.

New Content Schedule:

– Monday: Craft and insight posts

– Wednesday: Story coaching and technique

– Friday: Beginning writer focus and encouragement

What This Means for You:

1. Regular, focused content to support your writing journey

2. Professional guidance for your first novel

3. Community support and encouragement

4. Clear path from idea to completion

Ready to Begin?

Schedule a free consultation to discuss your story ideas. Whether you’re just thinking about writing or ready to start your first chapter, let’s talk about how I can help you begin your journey.

Join me in embracing The Pencil Driven Life – where writing becomes a path to discovery, growth, and authentic expression.

Your fellow writer,

Richard

Evolution of The Pencil’s Edge Blog

For the past year, I’ve shared daily chapters from my novels, allowing you to experience my storytelling journey. Today marks a significant change as I transition my blog, now called The Pencil’s Edge, to focus on helping others write their stories.

As a newly certified Fictionary StoryCoach Editor, I’m excited to transform this space into a resource for beginning novelists. Instead of sharing my past works, I’ll be offering:

  • Real-time insights from my current novel writing
  • Professional story coaching guidance
  • Beginning writer encouragement
  • Writing craft development
  • Monthly explorations of story through current events

For those following “The Boaz Scholar,” you can read the first ten chapters here. The complete novel, along with my other works, remain available here, and at Amazon.

This change aligns with my commitment to helping others write their first novel. After completing eleven novels and beginning my twelfth, I’m ready to share not just my stories, but the craft and courage needed to write them.

Thank you for your understanding during this transition. I’m excited to help you write your own stories.