Everything that has ever been written has started with a single word.
Every poem, every novel, every movie script, and every incredible self-help book began with a single letter, and then a single word.
Be encouraged if you are engulfed with the enormity of what lies in front of you, start small if need be.
But do not let fear hold you back.
And never – ever – be ashamed of small beginnings.
Because here is the secret: All beginnings are small.
This point will be passed over flippantly by many.
But understand: There can be nothing more difficult to overcome than a blank page.
Every book, story, and essay begins with a single word. Then a sentence. Then a paragraph. These words, sentences, paragraphs may well end up not being the actual beginning. You can’t know that now. Straining to know the whole of the story before you set out is a bit like imagining great-grandchildren on a first date.
-Dani Shapiro, Still Writing
