Ernest Hemingway published seven novels and numerous collections of writings over the course of his life. But did he ever have trouble creating?
He wrote in his book A Moving Beast:
Sometimes when I was starting a new story and could not get it going, I would sit in front of the fire and squeeze the peel of the little oranges into the edge of the flame and watch the sputter of blue that they made.
I would stand and look out over the roofs of Paris and think,
“Do not worry. You have always written before and you will write now. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.” So finally I would write one true sentence, and then go on from there.
Takeaways:
- Even Hemmingway has writer’s block!
- If you aren’t sure how to begin, start with what you know for sure. As crossword puzzle creator Will Shortz once put it, “Begin with the answers you’re surest of and build from there.”
- Let the truth be the guide.