Yesterday I received a message from a newish writer: "I never seem to finish anything. I've started dozens of writing projects. Why do I lose interest in them after a few pages? All these false starts make me feel so guilty."

Here's my response:

You sound as if you're putting too much pressure on yourself. Remember that your creative self is very child-like (not childish, however). Your creative self likes to PLAY.

Starting a project, and telling yourself: I'm writing a book, or even I'm writing an article for _________ can be enough to squelch your enthusiasm and child-like creativity.

Why not put all your start-up projects into the same file, or box, if you will? Think of that box as a planter box full of project seeds. Starting off new projects in your planter box keeps them all in the same place. Since you're only playing, there's no pressure; it's guilt-free.

You can create a "box" out of any file, in any program, or in a notebook, or in index cards. Call it your Play Box, or Toy Box if you like, and take your box out when you're ready to play. Once a project takes off -- it's sprouted in your planter box so to speak, you'll know -- you'll remove it to its own file automatically, without thinking about it.

If you keep all your new projects together, you'll find they're cross-fertilize. :-) As you're reading through one, you'll get ideas for another, and can play with that one for a while.

Useful programs for your writing Play Box on your computer include: Curio (Mac) and OneNote (PC). Here's a great article Is Curio the answer to no OneNote on the Mac? 

I cover growing your writing organically in the Top 70 Tips to Help You to Write More.

FWIW, I start all my projects in my Play Box in Curio -- I must have around 100 mini-projects, and I enjoy playing with them.

Try this simple idea to help you to have more fun with your writing, and be more productive: PLAY. :-)