In the Beginning

The song tells us to 'start at the very beginning' as it's a 'very good place to start.'  Seems sensible but is this always the best place to start?

As part of my Masters degree course, I have spent ten weeks creating all sorts of written work as part of the very enjoyable Creative Writing module.  One of the big learnings for me was to not worry about a well-crafted beginning.  Our exercises taught us to record whatever comes to mind.  Get it all down on paper.  It doesn't have to be fully formed sentences.  Then the re-writing process begins.  Writing is actually re-writing.  With fiction, we were advised to do this and to cut the first three pages!  It works.  By doing this, one avoids the boring pre-amble, taking the reader straight into the heart of the piece, where the action and interest lies.

The parallel with my work as a facilitator is the instruction to workshop participants to use 'headlines' - give us the main point and follow-up with explanation.  That way, you grab everyone's attention, avoiding the boring pre-amble. 

"Beginnings are always messy" according to John Galsworthy and in trying to avoid this messiness, many of us do what W. Clement Stone observed.  He says that, "so many fail because they don't get started - they don't go.  They don't overcome inertia.  They don't begin."

I like Meister Eckhart's advice.  "Be willing to be a beginner every single morning."  A bit scary?  Challenging?  Or wonderfully refreshing?

I'd better get started...