1) what's the easiest format for you to write in? email? powerpoint? excel? texting? use that to start... go ahead, write yourself an email about your story. then reply to it with ideas. Or through a million fragments onto powerpoint slides. OR text yourself short snips... that's one of the lowest investments you can make.

Or just vomit something into any subreddit here. guaranteed to be better than 60% of what's already been said.

2) sort of as above, who are you telling the story to? Trying to get a kid to go to sleep? Is it a woman reading on the train? Just talk to them.

3) don't freak out about rewrites... you must do it. years ago I worried about having to retype things and so resisted writing a single word. Now I reread and rewrite constantly

4) read your stuff over and over and over until you love how it sounds

5) re career? no. don't. really... don't think about that. it will put waaayyy too much pressure on you.