Writing a book is incredibly exciting, but the hardest part is often actually starting. Sitting down and staring at a blank screen or sheet of paper can trigger writer’s block, which is scary, daunting, and overwhelming to authors and makes actually starting difficult. Below, we’ll cover how to overcome the fear of writing your first chapter.

Let’s begin! 

Let Go Of Expectations 

The first chapter is the very first piece of writing people will read of yours. Because of that, writers have high expectations that the first chapter needs to be perfect. Instead of focusing on this first chapter being perfect, jot down some ideas for the chapter, like the setting and characters you want to introduce first. Putting ideas down first instead of just jumping into writing could help get the creativity flowing. Just know your first draft won’t be pretty, and that’s okay! Give yourself permission to start with a rough draft, and you can later on go back and create magic.

Start With Attainable Goals

It’s easy to say “I’m going to write a complete book in a week,” but actually achieving that goal is a whole other story. Setting big goals for yourself before you even begin can make you feel overwhelmed, stressed, and pressured to reach those goals. In the end, setting huge goals can have the opposite effect. They can scare you into even starting. Try setting small, realistic goals you can attain. 

Set A Timer 

Try setting a timer for fifteen to twenty minutes and freely write what you are thinking about for your first chapter. Don’t worry about misspellings, grammar, commas, etc. Just jot down whatever comes to mind for your first chapter. When the timer ends, you can read it and start adding in what other thoughts you think would complete the chapter. When you’re ready, then go back and fix any misspellings or grammatical errors. This can help you to get started. 

Create A Chapter Guide 

This guide doesn’t have to be perfect or incredibly accurate, but marking down what you believe should happen in each chapter can help make getting started a little easier and less scary. For example, you can mark down that in chapter 1, you want to introduce the main characters, and in chapter 2 you want to begin introducing a problem. 

Don’t Compare Your Progress To Others

It’s easy to look at others’ progress and wonder why you aren’t on the same level. However, it’s important to keep in mind that everyone has different deadlines, writing schedules, writing processes, etc. Some authors also have other people helping them with the process. Try to focus on your process and progress and don’t worry about how quickly this writer wrote their book. You’ll finish regardless of how long it’ll take you. Just give yourself some grace. 

Final Thoughts 

Writing your first chapter can be stressful, and you may feel pressured to make it perfect, but by starting with an idea, a little patience, and lowering expectations for the first draft, you can hopefully get started. The first draft doesn’t need to be perfect; just get ideas down on paper, and you can edit it later on. 

When your book is finished, you need to promote it. The easiest way to promote your book is with high-quality graphics, which you can create using Book Brush. Book Brush is a tool specifically designed with authors in mind. The graphics are simple to create and will catch people’s attention. This way, the book that you worked hard on creating will get the attention it deserves!