Let me get this out of the way: I have written maybe six or seven things in my life, all of which were short stories. I have read only a handful of books. (I've always had a lot of trouble paying attention to them for some reason. I lose focus after a few sentences and I start dwelling on random other things, and so I just never read much.)
However, oddly enough, I have a passion for writing. I want to express myself with words and worlds of my own creation. And I've been trying to, on and off, for a long time.
But I feel so lost when I try to write. I don't know how to plan my story or flesh it out. I don't know how I'm supposed to organize anything. I don't know any rules that I might not be aware of. I always feel like I'm doing things terribly wrong, and I rarely get more than a paragraph done before I give up.
The thing that pushes me over the edge on this is, I have a lot of anxiety regarding people judging what I write. I admit that I take negative criticism slightly personally, but I'm trying to get past that.
So now: is it because I never read much? Do I need to just read? Or do I need to just jump in and write things, even if I have no clue what I'm doing, and I feel like what I'm writing is terrible?
I'm sorry for the lousy topic... but I need some advice. I don't know how to begin actually writing.
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