William Wordsworth once said, "Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart," and I think he was on to something. The best writing comes fresh and unmediated from the core of you, from your heart, if you like. Sometimes it can feel as if you are writing without thinking, the process is so intense and immediate; the crafting, which involves editing, revising and honing, comes later in a different phase of creativity.
So, in order to write well, trust your first instinct -- that touchstone moment -- and try not to let anything (phone calls, emails or any other kind of displacement activity) get in the way. However, heartfelt writing does not just consist of this first rush of pure thought. It has elements of emotional intensity -- it comes from your heart, after all, and sincerity -- it must be felt and meant. If you can put yourself in a frame of mind where the words, imbued with emotion and sincerity, flow, then your work will attain that holy grail of writing: authenticity, and in doing all this you will have found - ta da! - your voice.
To achieve all this -- and I'm not saying it's easy -- you need private space: the kitchen table will do, if there is no one else around. You need peace and quiet. You need to concentrate intently. Most important of all you need lots and lots of practice -- try writing one page a day, it doesn't matter what it is, just sit and write and see what comes out. Don't think too much about it, it's a mystical process, and at times a magical one as well.
In the meantime here's another door and a different kind of writing from the heart...
