The First Words Always Seem the Hardest

That's equally true for a fiction or a Substack writer...

And yet, they're not as hard as they seem.

Starting something new always feels bigger than it is. The infamous blank page. The empty inbox or subscriber list. The pressure to get it right.

It's the curse of adulthood: once we fail, we feel like the world has collapsed, like we've humiliated ourselves beyond repair, like there's no point in trying again because all is lost.

But what do we do with the yearning to succeed, to beat the odds, to leave a legacy? Do we truly quit, or do we push past the doubts, break through resistance, and actually finish what we start?

Because writing isn’t just about words, just as living isn’t just about filling our days. Both are about the mindset that gives them meaning.

💡 Why this, why now

I’ve spent most of my life writing fiction. I started as a child with school essays and handwritten pages and worked my way up to being the first woman in my tiny European country to publish a novel (in 2004, which in my estimation amounts to around 89234923742 years ago). Since then, I’ve put my work into the world in every form except poetry (and not for lack of trying). I’ve just finished my first novel written directly in English, and it’s in pre-publication.

For the last decade, I’ve also coached high performers—artists, professional athletes, people who can’t afford to freeze up when the pressure’s on. Writers face the same challenges: self-doubt, creative blocks, fear of repetition, fear of not being original enough, fear of burning out.

🤝🏻 Community building

I don't want this to be just another writing newsletter.

There are plenty of books and YouTube videos packed with useful craft advice. You can search them right now.

This is different.

This is a conversation about what really happens when you sit down to create.

• No fluff.

• No recycled advice.

• A space for writers at any stage, whether you're working on your first novel or finishing your tenth.

• A mix of craft, psychology, and practical tools to keep you writing, no matter what's in your way.

🎯 What you can expect

• Weekly posts on writing, discipline, and what it actually takes to write a novel start to finish.

• Tactical strategies for overcoming creative blocks, self-doubt, and burnout.

• The psychology of storytelling.

• The psychology of being a (successful) writer.

🏁 In conclusion

Maybe you'll read this newsletter every week without skipping a post. Maybe you'll skim it. Maybe you'll disagree with me sometimes. That's the point!

Writing is personal. So is mindset. This space is about figuring out what works for you.

But trust me on one thing: if you want to write better, it starts with how you think.