When I think of somersaulting, the first image that pops into my mind is my two-year-old son, Drew, who shocked his dad. You see, I witnessed how Drew learned to do a somersault all by himself through his Baby Ninja Gymnastics Class. Drew and I followed Coach Josh’s lead. Drew placed his hands on the mat, tucked his head, pushed off with this ten little toes, and rolled.

So, when Drew, right in front of us, somersaulted from a standing position onto the kitchen floor, I did not freak out as shockingly as his dad did. The somersault was a success.

Somersaulting can be scary, but with the right steps, it can be a lot easier.

Writing is a lot like somersaulting to me. I know there are steps I can take as I explore my way through the writing process. But, the recursive writing process of rehearsing, drafting, revising, and publishing somersaults me into different directions that often leave me a bit dizzy.

Currently, I am writing an academic book for teacher educators focused on using flipped learning to teach writing workshop with preservice teachers.

My first step? Basic enough. Sit my butt in the chair more days than not.

Second, I start my electronic stopwatch and close my email.

Then, I somersault into my messy process. I place my fingers on the keys. I catch a thought rolling through my head or reread what I wrote the previous day. I push the first letter and then the next until the words roll into sentences and the sentences roll into paragraphs and the paragraphs roll into chapters. My goal is for those chapters to roll into a completed book.

Are you a teacher-writer exploring your own messy process? If so, I encourage you to first sit at the mess and then jump in! As you write, the somersaults between the writing process stages will roll smoother, one into the other. The dizziness will subside with time. Clarity will be achieved.

We just have to follow the steps.

We have to trust our own unique writing processes.

What I’ve discovered, however, just as I’ve written this post, is that I was wrong about step one. Drew didn’t put his hands on the mat first.

First—Drew believed he could do that somersault.

Belief must be our first step as writers.

Believe we can write.

Believe we have something to say others will want to read.

Believe in our voice.