Make the most of your beginning: A writer’s road trip

BY CHRISTINA MYERS

Starting a new writing project is like setting out on a road trip: you’ve got a destination in mind and a route planned out, the weather is great, and you’re excited. It should be smooth sailing on the road ahead, right?

Except for the flat tire. Or the construction on the highway. Or the rain. You start to consider just turning around and going back home.

But a seasoned traveller knows there’s no such thing as a road trip without roadblocks— be they traffic jams or car problems—just as a good writer learns there’s no such thing as writing without challenges. And the solution is the same on both counts: recognize that a problem does not mean the journey is over.

So, how do you set yourself up for a successful journey and ensure that the beginning is not also the end? Like any trip, you need a plan, a map, and plenty of determination and optimism. Here are some tips to get off on the right foot:

Pace yourself: You wouldn’t drive across the country in a single day (nor could you even if you tried). That enthusiasm you have on day one will last a lot longer if you don’t use up all your energy.

Establish a routine: Don’t get distracted from the road ahead. If it’s time to write, turn off your cell phone and write. If you can organize your schedule so that your writing time is the same each day, even better; if not, find the windows that work for you (and protect them by not overscheduling yourself).

Let go of perfection: Don’t the novels on your bookshelf look perfect? All polished and edited, with gorgeous covers—not unlike the shiny photos of a road trip shared on Instagram. But behind the scenes, neither the road trip nor the creation of a novel is picturesque all the time. Give yourself permission to write a bad first draft. You can fix anything later with revision, but you can’t fix a blank page that you gave up on.

Keep your eye on the prize: You’ve got the map, and the destination is marked with an X. There are many miles between here and there, but you know where you’re going. When the writing feels tough, take a break and remember the goal: visualize that final manuscript in your hand (or on your laptop screen) all done.

Break it down: A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step—and then lots of steps after that. Estimate how long your book might be once complete, and then divide that number by 365. That’s how many words you’d need to write each day to finish your book in one year, which feels a lot more manageable when it’s broken down into small chunks.

Enjoy the journey: A road trip is the slowest way to travel these days, but you get to experience a lot of unique scenery along the way. In writing, there are no shortcuts at all, and it can be easy to feel discouraged. Just remember, this trip is supposed to be fun. Find joy and humour where you can.

Christina Myers is a writer, editor, and former journalist. She’s the editor of the IPPYaward-winning anthology BIG: Stories about Life in PlusSized Bodies (2020) and the author of the novel The List of Last Chances (2021), both published by Caitlin Press. She lives in Surrey and is currently at work on her next novel and a collection of essays.