Write. Then write some more.

Word count after 3 days: 6423

Last night I was up until after midnight because I didn't get started writing until after 9. About the time I was totally ready for bed, I began writing. It does take me close to 3 hours to write my daily 2,000 words. And the night before, I had gone to bed at 11 but then I was lying awake in bed for a long time being flooded with plot ideas. So, I'm very tired today. Already had 2 cups of coffee and it's barely keeping me functioning.

I'm astounded at what this experience has already taught me about writing. I'm amazed at how the plot and characters are taking off. Whenever I've attempted to write fiction in the past, I always quit when I get stuck, which is usually soon after I begin. Now that I have a word count goal, I'm finding that I am able to keep the story going even when I think I'm out of ideas. I never know what is going to happen next, but each day it surprises me as the plot develops and the characters interact.

I really am writing crap, I mean, seriously. But it just might turn out to be a legitimate rough draft for something--a short story, or even a novel. I read somewhere that you can take a horrible rough draft and make a good novel out of it, but nobody ever made anything out of a blank page.

The trick to writing, apparently, is simply this: Start writing, then keep writing.