How do I get started/make a go of it?

[nomorespaghetti]

My background is in science (academic research), but I've always loved to write. I've entered and been shortlisted for several writing competitions, and my BSc, MSc, PhD dissertations were all praised by the examiners for the writing (not for the science sadly, ha!)

After my PhD I went into medical writing, but really didn't enjoy it. No opportunity to be creative, didn't interest me... just not for me. I left after I had my first child - she was born with a disability that wasn't diagnosed until she was 1, and working while caring for her became very difficult. So I've been a SAHP/carer for almost 4 years now - eldest is 5 and I have a younger child of 3.

I've carried on writing in my limited time - I blog for a national charity, and a couple of other blog sites, about my daughter and our family life. I got 'A letter to...' published in the Guardian (don't know if this is an achievement, maybe they publish every one they get ). I think my writing is pretty good, but I'm very time poor (my son is in playgroup for 3 mornings a week, so I have 6 hours total childfree time during the days. Evenings I’m broken and can barely think!) I just feel like my brain is so clogged up with family life at the moment that I’ve got no clear airspace to formulate ideas. I probably just need a kick up the arse, plus more childcare for my youngest!

I want to do an online creative writing course next year (when son goes to nursery), and possibly a proofreading course. I don't need to earn at the moment - DH earns well, plus I don't yet think my DD could cope with wraparound care at the moment, she's still very reliant on me specifically being around after school etc.

I suppose I'm looking for ideas of how to get started. Would really appreciate any input. I've thought about writing a book about our family experience of my DDs disability, as a cathartic experience as much as anything else, but I’d really like to write creatively. Thank you!

You just need to start. Everyone is time poor- but if you watch tv, you have time. I wrote my first book in snatches of half an hour here and there.

The guy who won the Nobel prize for literature on Thursday also had a full time job for most of his career. If he can do it, you can!

Science is great. I think science fiction will always be interesting and popular. People are weirdly snobbish about it, but it's massive selling, and some of the best writing out there. The Upper World Series, which had the first book out in august, got one of get biggest advances for children's literature ever. The author is a scientist and they're brilliant.

I don't know how much wider interest your idea would have- but it would be a way of getting started!

If you're looking for books to help, probably 'Save the cat' is one of the best.

I agree with the PP that save the cat or indeed save the cat writes a novel are excellent places to start although there are loads of useful books out there. Stephen King's On Writing is excellent. But I would say is to write what you enjoy reading because it's a long old slog to write 100k words so it needs to be in a genre you like. Then just do it however you can!

November is national novel writing month, so you'd be just in time for virtual support there to get going. The target is to get 50000 words done in November, or 1667 a day, which is surprisingly achievable and a good start to any book. NaNoWriMo has all kinds of online activities to get things going, and I know a few people who have used it for memoirs or nonfiction, so your plans would fit well. I'll be doing my fourth book next month.

(Just going to say here, quietly, for anybody doing nanowrimo......

I'm fortunate enough to currently be able to write as a full time job. I've never written 50,000 words in one month. If I did, it would be incoherent rubbish that wouldn't even be worth improving on. 40,000 is probably my happy monthly average when I'm writing a new thing- but I couldn't sustain that every month. If you're doing nanowrimo, don't worry if you can't complete it!)

@Curioushorse

(Just going to say here, quietly, for anybody doing nanowrimo......

I'm fortunate enough to currently be able to write as a full time job. I've never written 50,000 words in one month. If I did, it would be incoherent rubbish that wouldn't even be worth improving on. 40,000 is probably my happy monthly average when I'm writing a new thing- but I couldn't sustain that every month. If you're doing nanowrimo, don't worry if you can't complete it!)

I agree, I write for a living and when I'm writing a first draft I aim for 10,000 a week and sometimes even that isn't achievable.

I also write for a living.

I don't think I could write 50,000 words each and every month and have it be of a consistently high standard.

But 50,000 once a year to get a new project halfway drafted? That's been really helpful, and it's also worked for other paid writers that I know from the local group. So it's maybe worth some consideration if getting started has been difficult.

And I absolutely agree that less than 50k during November is by no means a failure. You've produced many words you wouldn't otherwise have written and that's a success.

@CrepuscularCritter

And I absolutely agree that less than 50k during November is by no means a failure. You've produced many words you wouldn't otherwise have written and that's a success.

Oooo yes! Sorry, OP, I didn't mean to be disheartening, but was feebly trying to be encouraging!

I am in awe of what some people can produce. You hear tales of people regularly writing 5000 plus words a day (amazing!). I was just trying to point out that nanowrimo is a very ambitious target- even for me. Don't beat yourself up if you do it and you can't manage that word count- especially as you're starting from ground zero!

Good luck!

You just need to start.

I agree. It doesn't matter what you write at first, just write. Can you go to a cafe on one of your childfree mornings? Sit by the window and just write about what you can see, or whatever comes into your head.

Thank you all! This is really helpful, and you’re right, I just need to start! I think the problem I’m having is that I need a bit of headspace to think, come up with some ideas, and I’m being dragged down by the mental load a bit at the minute. When I write about my daughter I can knock stuff out really quickly, because I’m writing about the stuff that takes up about 99% of the space in my head (it feels like anyway).

I think going to the library or a café of a morning is a great idea. Too many distractions at home.