Were you like me when you watched Kung Fu Panda and held your breath when Po finally got his hands on the golden scroll? I really wanted the secret to be explained. I wanted Po to have the secret spelled out in glorious, wonderous letters. At that moment, felt like such a cop-out for Po to realize there was no secret.
But here's the thing; Po had to realize that he already had what it takes to be the Dragon Warrior. And guess what? You already have what it takes to be a writer, too.
You see, there is no secret to start writing when you don't feel like writing. It's just plain hard. It can even feel mentally painful. But that's the golden scroll right there; when you feel that loathing to start and yet that need to write, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Right now, even as you read this, there are countless writers thinking about writing and not writing because they are afraid of that horrible moment when they sit down before their computer only to discover that they have nothing to say. At this very moment, there are dozens of writers writhing in the pain of wanting to write but not knowing how to go forward. Man, it hurts. But understand this: you're not doing it wrong. It's part of the process.
So, yes, it may seem like cold comfort to know that it's not just you and that starting is hard for everyone. But it might be that one hard fact that you need to embrace. By recognizing that pain doesn't signify you are doing it wrong, you might just find the courage to keep trying.
Keep trying.
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