A friend messaged me the other day—someone I hadn’t heard from in ages—and she was absolutely buzzing with excitement. She’d just had a million-dollar idea for a story. Her exact words? “Now what?!”

I could feel her nervous energy through the screen.If you’ve been hit over the head by a brilliant idea—whether it’s a story, screenplay, or something else—you probably know that exact what-do-I-do-now feeling. Here’s what I told her, and what I’ll tell you:

That idea found you for a reason. It’s yours.

No one else can write it, create it, or make it happen like you can. So, don’t overthink it. Don’t worry about the how. Just start. Think of writing your book like climbing a mountain. You don’t need to know every single step to get to the top. You just have to put one foot in front of the other. If you’re ready to start your writing journey, here are three simple steps to help you get moving.

1. Write It Down

This one may feel super obvious, but you’d be amazed at the number of people who have told me they have a great idea for a book who hadn’t written down a single word of it. Have an idea? Write it down. Doesn’t matter where or how, just get those initial ideas out of your brain and onto something tangible. You can write it in a notebook, type it into your Notes app on your phone, or scribble it onto the back of a receipt—a book in your head isn’t a book, it’s only a thought.

But, but…where do I start?!

Don’t panic, I got you! Here are a few ways to begin to put those thoughts into words:

Make a list: bullet points, dashes, smiley faces—anything works. Like you would write your grocery list, make a list of summarized scene ideas, character attributes, or even snippets of dialogue.
Freewrite: Open a blank document, grab a pen and don’t overthink it. Freewriting is supposed to feel free, so don’t bog yourself down with structure. You might even put on some music you love while doing it—don’t stop to correct your spelling, either!
Braindump: Similar to freewriting, braindumping allows you to pour out everything you can think of about your scene, plot, and characters in no particular order. This might be a combo of lists, paragraphs, or, if you’re using Milanote or a notebook, could also include images and photos.

The goal isn’t perfection—it’s momentum. Writing a first draft is messy business. (There’s a reason it’s referred to as the “shitty first draft.”) You can fix plot holes, move scenes hither and yon, and align your characters with their goals later. If you’re not sure where to go next, check out my Write for Fun 101 course, which will take you from idea to The End on the novel you’re writing. ✍️

2. Decide What You’re Creating

Now that you have a smattering of ideas, plot points and possibly dialogue, you might feel a little disjointed. Poking your notes with a stick from a safe distance and wondering, “What the hell is this?” is a process I’ve been through a few times.

Is it a full-length novel?
A novella?
A screenplay?
A blog post?
A series of short-form posts for video (or X and Threads) to share your inner monologue?

Once you know what you’re working on, it’s time to figure out where it belongs. If it’s a novel, you may decide to query an agent, look into New York publishers, or self-publish under your own LLC or imprint. If it’s a screenplay, you may start by reading Save the Cat, or researching production companies.

When I started writing romance, I knew exactly what I was writing. Or…I thought I did. I drove to my favorite bookstore (RIP, Borders 😭) and investigated the romance books section. I found the publishers’ names on the spines, wrote them down, and then went home to do further research. What I found was that some publishers allow submissions and others require an agent to submit for you. And everyone had a word count requirement. Some didn’t want any more than 50,000 words and others wouldn’t look at less than 85,000. Which brought forward a lot of other questions, but at least I knew which questions to ask!

If you’re considering self-publishing, you can start by reading helpful blogs (like this one—you can subscribe for updates here), or by buying a book on the topic that has been written by a trusted source. As I did above, I highly recommend my Write for Fun 101 course, simply because going it alone takes so much time. In the course, I hand over the worksheets I have developed and used personally to write over 45 books—there’s no reason for you to build the wheel from scratch. Invest in yourself—you are worth it.

Learn more.

3. Find Your People

I used to say that writing was lonely business, but the truth is writing doesn’t have to be a solo journey. Look for a group of people who are at the same level you are in your journey. If you’re just starting out, find someone else who is starting out. If you’re self-publishing, find a Facebook group of like-minded authors who share info about self-publishing. You can also look into local writing groups, online communities, or find an author who is sharing what she knows on social media.

Here’s why having someone else involved matters:

A critique partner can help you out of a plot-knot.
An accountability partner can remind you of your goals and help you refocus when you’re procrastinating.
A mentor who has been where you want to go can encourage you to keep going, and show you what the end looks like when you’re only at the beginning.

If you’re not signed up for my For Writers Newsletter, that is an easy-peasy way to connect for free advice! Or you can follow me on my social media for encouragement and inspiration.

Remember: Butt in chair. Fingers on keyboard.

Starting your writing journey doesn’t have to be complicated. The act of writing is simple: sit down, show up, and put words on the page. Some days you might find that the words flow from the ether, and on other days you may struggle to string a sentence together. It’s all part of the process. Whether you are writing 50 words a day or 5,000, what matters is that you are taking the words from your head and putting them onto paper.

Since you are the only one who can do your story idea justice, why not start today?

I’ll be here to cheer you on.
Jessica 🍋

Next steps:

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3 Simple Ways to Start Your Writing Journey