Hi friends,

Recently, a friend reached out to me on Instagram and told me he wanted to write a book. He asked, "Where should I start?"

But I’ve never written a book. How should I know?

I didn’t respond right away. Instead, I took a day to really think about his question.

The truth is, whether you're writing a book, a short story, or an article, writing is hard. Each piece has its own challenges, but they all share common principles. Here’s what I believe it takes to write anything of value:

• The most important step is to start writing.
• Getting writing right takes time—think in years, not days.
• The vision you start with will change.
• Set a daily writing routine. It’s okay to skip a day or two, but don’t abandon it. Ever.
• When it’s time to reread your work, be kind to yourself.
• You’ll learn more about writing by doing it than by reading books on how to write.
• Writing is a solitary practice, but once shared, it becomes a communal ritual.

So, if there’s a story you’ve been thinking about writing, I hope the principles above serve as some kind of guide. I feel like a broken record saying this, but remember: we don’t write for money or recognition, we write because we know no other way to give life to the stories that live in our heads.

Happy writing!

— MM

💎 New From Me

Here is a video I published last week on writing titles: You've Read Enough. It’s Time to Start Writing

🔖 Quote I’m pondering

Your actions reveal not what you want, but what you choose.

— Shane Parrish

📸 Through My Lens

Please give me feedback on the newsletter by replying to this email. Do you find it worth your time? What do you want more or less of? Or other suggestions?

Thank you for reading!

Mohamed