The fork in the road.

What do you do when you come to a fork in the road and don't know which way to turn? What are your options?

• Consult a map. But what if there is no map? 
• Pick one and go a short distance to see if you can tell where it leads. 
• If you don't like where the road you took is going, turn around and take the other path. 
• Make camp and think about it some more.
• Go back home and do more research on where these roads go. 

Writing is a lot like this.

• Do you want to write? Okay, what do you want to write about? 
• Where do you find your inspiration? 
• Do you need to take classes or a get a degree in creative writing? 
• Who can show you how to get started? 

All good questions that each writer will need to answer. Writing what you like to read is a good place to start. Start small, it is less daunting than a full blown novel. Recreate a scene that happened in your life. Day to day living is a good place for inspiration and story fodder.

Read. Read a lot. And if you like school and want to go back, that 's a good way to go. But it's not the only way. Local writing groups often have workshops and opportunities for learning about writing. Contests are a great way to get feeback and test your writing chops.

Write. Write some more. You will improve with practice.

Edit. Not everything we write is golden. First drafts are not polished work. Read it aloud and you'll hear repetitive words and things that don't flow. Be objective and if you can't be objective then put it away for a few days and look at it with fresh eyes.

A good critique group is priceless.

The main thing is to get started and keep at it. Writing takes time, lots of it. Good writing takes even more time than you can imagine. If writing is a goal for you, make time for it. Make writing a priority in your life. If you do, you will find  it can be fulfilling and you will find some degree of success. By success I mean accomplishment. And if you are very lucky, more.

Writers write. Writers read. Enjoy the journey, there are a lot of terrific stories out there just waiting for you to write them.

http://bdtharp.com
Author of the "feisty family series" and a novel of romantic suspense: "Your Every Move."