Nothing is stronger than habit.

— Ovid, Ars Amatoria

Welcome to Writing Jumpstart!

For the duration of this course, you’re going to be writing every day. From this day forward, you are, officially, A Writer.

“But Alice,” you may be saying. “I haven’t written in months/years/decades. I can’t call myself a writer because I’m a nurse/business owner/shepherd. And I certainly don’t have the time to write every day. Don’t be silly. Is this you being silly, again?”

Okay, let’s take this one by one.

1. You want to write, you’re going to write, you’re a writer. It matters not even a little bit how much you’ve written in the past. The past is a story you tell yourself. The future, by the way, is also a story. The only thing that counts is the present, so don’t worry about those stories. Let’s harness that storytelling into your writing, okay?

2. You can be a writer and also be other things; that’s just silly. Whatever else you do or have done is going to feed your writing. You know what’s boring? People who have never experienced life and think they can write about it. Kids who go from being English majors in college straight into MFA programs and write books about writing majors. Bleah. Remember: Everything is material. And if your material has nothing to do with being a writer, so much the better.

3. You do have time to write every day, because you have fifteen minutes. You do. Of course you do! Every day, you can find fifteen minutes. It doesn’t have to be the same fifteen minutes of each day, although a routine is lovely. You might have to plan each fifteen-minute session in advance. You can do it.

I want you to buy yourself a notebook and a pen that’s pleasant to write with, and keep it with you at all times. You do not have to necessarily do your fifteen-minutes-a-day in this notebook, but it’s always good to have that option. If, say, you find yourself trapped in a traffic jam, or waiting for your kid’s karate class to finish up. If your computer isn’t nearby, you now have no excuse. Notebook. Buy it, keep it with you, use it when you can.

And now: course guidelines!

1. Of course I hope that you complete all the exercises and read/watch all the materials, but I can't come to your house and make you. Yet. (I'm working on it.) You don't have to apologize to me if life gets in the way. Just pick up where you left off.

2. This course is meant to give your inner critic a time-out so that your creative self has room to play. By "play," I mean take risks. Write messy, even incoherent. See how bad you can get. Have fun with it. In order to quiet down your inner critic, don't give him/her/it a chance to form an opinion. Therefore: you are not allowed to re-read your course work until you've completed all the course work. Even then, wait a bit. Our job here is to focus on process, not product. Second-guessing your output is counterproductive!

3. If/when you write on your computer, download Freedom, a free app that disables the internet for a period of time. It's a good way to keep yourself from getting distracted, and also serves as a handy timer for the writing prompt exercises. Another good option is Self-Control, which allows you to disable specific sites. This one is very handy if you need the Internet but not social media.

4. At the end of each lecture, I'll include a writing prompt: a question or statement that you can respond to. The prompt is here to help you, but if you’d rather write about something else entirely, go for it. I only ask that you not bring previous work to this course. Again, this course is meant to generate a lot of material, not to refine work you've already begun.

No matter what you write, do it without editing yourself. When your fifteen minutes start, keep your hand (or hands) moving. Don’t think too hard about what you’re putting down.

You may not understand the prompts all the time. They might sometimes be a little confusing. Let yourself be confused, and muddle your way through! You can't screw this up. Focus on the images that float into your consciousness. Finish when the time is up. If you start by answering the prompt and end with something completely different, that's fine. There are no wrong answers.

5. Share your work: At least once a week, please share your prompt writing in our private Facebook group. If you don't belong to Facebook, you may share in the comments below the corresponding post, but it's much easier if you share in the Facebook group. So if you have the option, choose Facebook.

Sharing your work can be scary, and that's the point of this exercise. I want you to become accustomed to putting your work out into the world before you think it's ready. (I'll talk more about this in the coming weeks.) Please only submit writing you've done that day for a specific writing prompt. I know we're all going at our own pace, so there's no deadline to submit the work you've done for any one prompt. I rely on your honesty, here. Don't submit edited, polished work--that'll make your classmates feel bad about theirs!

6. Please support your classmates when you can: read their work and comment. Because we're submitting first draft, unedited writing, a critique wouldn't be fair. Most helpful: point out details in their work that stood out for you: a moment, an idea, a phrase. General encouragement is also welcome.

7. I’m here to read your work and encourage you to keep going. I’m also here to answer any questions you have and provide suggestions for further work. I will be active in the comments and on our Facebook group, and you can always email me at [email protected]. I will not be providing detailed critiques: that wouldn't be fair with first-draft material. I might suggest that you explore more of a certain topic, or revisit the work when the course is over.

Please introduce yourself in the comments below! Where are you coming from, what do you hope to accomplish?

PROMPT: What kind of writer do you want to be? Where do you see yourself as a writer—at the end of this class, in one year, in 5? Close your eyes and visualize what your life is like. What do you want to do in your writing? Don't be afraid to be bold.