- Take care of yourself right from the start. This includes the right tools: Do you prefer to use a fountain pen, a ballpoint pen or your laptop? It’s important, that you can write easily and well with it.
- Don’t think too much! Just start. Thoughts come naturally when you write. In the beginning, it helps to set aside a specific time when you are not allowed to leave your writing space.
- Ignore rules. Style, spelling, punctuation, and grammar don’t matter at first. You can put things in order later.
- Don’t control what you write. Be faster than your inner censor. Only this way you will succeed to enter the depths of your memories.
- Be specific. Your text will be more authentic if you don’t simply note that you had a dog as a child, but: What color was he? Was he big or small? What was his temperament like?
- Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice makes perfect, even in writing. Get into the habit of a certain routine. For example, I always write for half an hour in the evening after work – or in the morning after breakfast.
- Read your text aloud at the end. You’ll notice where the text is in flux and where you stumble over your own words. Keep working on these passages.
