Ep 142: If You Want to Write, You Have to Get Started
Back in December of 2014, my first podcast episode spoke to listeners. I preached to myself, as well.\n\nThe message? Just get started.\nYou Only Need to Know 'Enough'\nI\u2019d been putting off podcasting for years. There was a wave of interest in podcasting a few years prior to 2014, and I felt like I\u2019d missed that wave.\n\nBut the opportunity stirred again. People in the online world were buzzing about podcasts and podcasting yet again, and I realized a second wave was swelling. Perhaps I could ride the wave this time, I thought.\n\nNow, I\u2019m not too good on the water\u2014I survived a spectacular wipeout while waterskiing when I was in my early 20s. Thankfully, I\u2019m only using that as an analogy. I saw it as a risk\u2014launching a writing coach podcast felt as scary as pulling on those skis. The fear felt the same. But I decided to dig in and do it anyway.\n\nI decided to do minimal, just-in-time research and then jump right in even if I didn\u2019t think I knew enough.\n\nI was tempted to have every duck in a row, but if I waited for that, I knew I would wait another week, another month, another year. I knew I just needed to know enough. I could get answers along the way.\n\nTo be honest, at the time I was kind of mad at myself for missing out before, so I was determined to move forward no matter what.\nStart with What You Have\nI couldn\u2019t find a straightforward "podcasting for dummies" kind of tutorial. Those came a few months or a year after I started. I read what was out there, tried to figure out the basics, and jumped in with the equipment I had on hand. A couple of questions remained unanswered, but I forged ahead.\n\nI used my smartphone and a little earpiece speaker I use for making phone calls. I pulled that very first audio file into GarageBand, did some light editing, uploaded it to my podcast host, and with that, I started.\n\nThose first few episodes, I was nervous. The quality was adequate, but not professional.\n\nAnd I did make a couple of mistakes behind the scenes. I was kind of upset and anxious about them for a week or so until a kind and patient person at Blubrry\u2014that\u2019s my podcast host\u2014explained my options, helped me decide what to do, and walked me through next steps. Problem solved.\n\nBasically, I had to re-brand the podcast because I couldn\u2019t change the name without starting over. But the point is that even with the mistake, I was able to meet my ultimate goal, which was to get content out there\u2014audio content\u2014that could help writers. I didn\u2019t wait another day and I didn\u2019t waste another opportunity.\n\nAbout a year later I heard the term \u201cminimum viable product\u201d for the first time and realized, \u201cAh! That\u2019s how I got myself in motion!" That microphone was okay\u2014it met my minimum standard. If I\u2019d waited until I saved up for a nicer mic before starting, I might have missed the wave.\n\n\nGet the First Pancake Out of the Way\nWhatever it is you\u2019ve been dreaming of doing? Do it. Start it. Grab your computer keyboard and type the first words of that novel. Set your phone on a shelf and record your first Facebook Live. Grab your camera and snap a first few photos for Instagram. Set up a website and start publishing articles.\n\nHave you heard of the first pancake rule?\xa0I love it because I\u2019ve literally seen its truth in action. Every time I make pancakes\u2014or crepes\u2014the first one or two are kind of misshapen and unappealing, though they taste just fine.\n\nAfter those first two, I get the swing of things. The pan is the right temperature and the batter has sort of settled. Before long, I\u2019m flipping stacks of beautiful, round, puffy pancakes ready to be doused in syrup, or piles of elegant crepes ready to be rolled up with some sweet filling.\n\nBut I always have to get those first couple of wonky-looking pancakes or crepes out of the way first.\n\nSame with my podcast. Same with your project. If you haven\u2019t created something like that before, you can have all the right ingredients and you'll still have to do the first whatever...