I just have to share this TED talk with you – it’s possibly the most encouraging and helpful talk about creativity that I’ve ever heard. It should probably be required viewing for anyone who’s ever battled with getting words on a page, or struggled with any creative endeavour.

It’s also incredibly timely for me. I’d pretty much given up on the idea of fiction writing – I’ve had so many false starts and I obviously didn’t have the drive required to get anywhere with it. Far better writers than me aren’t even getting off the starting blocks, so what’s the point in trying?

Then out of the blue, I’ve had a story idea bugging me for several days. Every time my mind has gone slightly blank or relaxed I’ve ended up daydreaming the plot (with me as the heroine, of course – that’s how all the best daydreams work). Eventually, it occurred to me that I really ought to attempt to write it down, if only to exorcise it from my head so I can actually get some stuff done around here.

The funny thing is, while every single word I put down was hard going, I realised that this process was something I had been desperately missing. All of a sudden, I have a total of 1000 words on the story already and ideas for how the next two scenes are going to go – not a massive amount, but more than I’ve written in ages.

Now though, my usual road block has kicked in, my inner self-fulfilling prophet: it’s not really any good, the plot isn’t structured enough, the science isn’t convincing enough and there’s no WAY that character would do that are you INSANE, it won’t sell anyway, I don’t even want anyone else to read it why would I?, if I’m not going to do anything properly with it then what’s the point, WHAT IF I FAIL?

I have had too many writing projects fall by the wayside, I have sabotaged myself so many times.

500 words of fiction. Every weekday in term-time. Even if no-one ever gets to see it.

I need to stop being a quitter.