Let's start with the beginning....

It's a very good place to start.

Really, starting -- just starting -- is the main thing. It doesn't have to be exactly the final product you envision in your head. Who writes their masterpiece in the first draft?

That's what the 'delete' key is for.

Conditions will never be perfect. You'll never have the perfect balance of noise to silence, lighting, comfortable chair, and inspiration all at the same time. Doesn't work that way.
But I do have to keep reminding myself of that, more often than I care to admit to myself, let alone in public.

Nope. Accountability is the word here. Discipline. Structure. Work Ethic.

And Courage.

Add all of that to a bit of Imagination and Initiative, and with a whole lot of Luck, you've got yourself the recipe for Success. In whatever your endeavor is: cooking, music, art, writing . 

Wise Words: Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained.

So here it is-- my first blog. Welcome.
Let's use it to spread Good Writing Karma and support to everybody out there looking for their own brand of success.
Are you putting those first words on paper? Ready to upload your novel on Smashwords ?
Or are you trying to come out of lurkdom and join the conversation on a blog for the first time?

Maybe you're like me, sharing your thoughts and knowledge, taking your first steps into the blogosphere.

If there's anything to learn about social media and networking it's this:
We Are Not Alone.
(And no, that's not just a shameless plug for Kristen Lamb's book on social networking. But go buy it -- it's worth every penny. http://www.whodareswinspublishing.com/)

So...
Do you need encouragement to try something new? Starting a new venture, or just getting around to that pesky New Year's resolution? Acting on a dream or a goal?

Let me know, because we're in this community of writers all learning together. Great thing about the internet: you self-educate, at your own pace. No question is too dumb to ask. Cool, huh?

Some of us, like me,  know next to nothing.
Hopefully you'll follow this blog for DearWriterMason: All those questions on genre, formatting, epublishing, blogging, craft, twitter, ...but were afraid to ask.  I'm no expert, but I can direct you to some who are, and to some sites you may find interesting, and together we'll learn.
If you ARE an expert, or just know waaaay more than the rest of us on any of the above, or other things like grammar, blogging stats, epublishing formats, writing the perfect query or pitching to an agent or editor without embarrassing flopsweat....
Welcome! Here's a forum -- use it!

Others of us just need encouragement and permission to call ourselves a "writer": Use the good notebook. Download that lesson. Buy that online workshop. Invest in yourself.

So tell me... where is your journey leading you today? And how may I help you?