Starting a blog or any written work for public consumption can be challenging. At times it can be overwhelming, and trying to do it along can become discouraging. One of the most important first decisions you will make is selecting the right host site. The right choice will prove to be valuable to your writing future.

Some web hosting sites will offer ongoing assistance and start up help for a small fee. I have been using http://WordPress.com free platform for a few years, but was not dedicated until I bought into one of the paid plans. I realized that small investment did what it needed to do for me, it got the ball rolling. The free options available for casual blogging might fit your needs, but those do not have all the bells and whistles.

This is the first public post to my newly launched blog site https://writersdoc.blog. As with any new piece of work, the creators always want that work to be perfect. Flawless even. Which was a mistake in my case. Trying to be perfect is what kept me on the sidelines for almost eight years. Let that sit there for a second, eight years.

Wow, I know right. Time flies when procrastinating.

No more. I woke up one day and just decided to do it. I shook off the dust, worked out the kinks, then jumped in. Some may call this strategy crazy. A nonsensical sink or swim game plan. Yes, I agree with them all. But, “A bird does not learn to fly by sitting in the comfort of it’s nest.”

Don’t get me wrong, I am not suggesting that anyone reading this throw caution to the wind and leap. There is some level of planning, organizing and research that has to be done. I did my share of that work which assured me some level of knowledge, so I’m not flying completely blind. I’m just asking a fair question. When is enough planning too much planning?

My humble advice for anyone willing to take it is, do the work. Research and read to confirm if this is the path for you. Have some semblance of a plan, as simple as finding your niche and putting pen to paper. Write down your thoughts and the ideas of anyone excited to share, all written work can be edited later. Join online writing groups, contribute as much and as often as you can.

But most importantly, have a firm starting point. This way, you will be better prepared, or more prepared than I was a few days ago when I got started. And never let failure be an excuse for not trying. There will be good times, enjoy those and learn from the bad times, but continue to grow and improve.

Some people walk fast and some people walk slow, the key is to keep walking until our journey is complete. So I challenge you, continue to chase your dreams.