There will soon be more advice for writers than there are cats and funny pictures. It’s hard to find really useful information among the large amount of garbage. Finding advice for aspiring writers is not difficult at all. There are already many more such articles on the Internet than a few. So I tried to choose the most interesting, and most importantly, previously unknown tips.
You won’t always like what you write
Nine times out of ten I don’t like what I write. When I reread drafts and articles that were written in the desk, I get a little uncomfortable. Unfortunately, there is no other way to get better. In order to improve, you will need to write a lot. And you won’t always like the result. This is normal.
Getting published is not as important as many people think.
It’s kind of like thinking that the tea ceremony is for the sake of the tea. In fact, the ceremony is for the sake of the ceremony. So it is with writing.
A writer needs creativity for its own sake–to write. You shouldn’t aspire to get your book or article published.
Getting published should obviously be on your list of priorities, but don’t put it first. Write for the sake of writing.
To write well is to tell the truth
Truth seems to be the easiest thing to write about. After all, it’s much harder to first think of something, shape it, and write it. In fact, it’s not like that. Writing the truth so that it is interesting and understandable to the reader is as difficult as giving a cat a bath.
If you don’t know what to write about, start with your childhood
Write about the beginning. About the time when you first became aware of yourself and the world around you. If your childhood was bad, you’ve got a gloomy story; if it was good, you’ve got a bright and colorful one. However, no matter what your childhood was like, at first the result of your work will still be awful, but the important thing is to get started.
Anyone who has lived through childhood has accumulated enough material for the rest of their life.
Flannery O’Connor.
When you start remembering all the details of your childhood, there may be so much material that you won’t understand how you can even write about everything. In that case, narrow it down and write about individual events, time periods, or people.
Sit down to write at the same time every day
Such a ritual will train your subconscious mind to engage in creative activities. Sit down at your desk at 9 a.m., or 7 p.m., or 2 a.m., whichever you prefer. For the first hour, you’ll probably just stare at a white sheet of paper or computer screen like an idiot. Then you’ll start swaying from side to side. Then you’ll want to pick your nose – you shouldn’t avoid it. You’ll start crunching your fingers, stretching, stroking the cat, biting your nails, or biting your lip. Only then will you probably be able to start peeing. Be patient until then.
It’s better to write in small portions
If you have an incredible piece of work in mind, the fear of its size can cause you to fall into a stupor. Write in small portions. Don’t be afraid to pause and rest.
Writing a novel is like driving at night. You only see what the headlights catch out of the darkness, and yet you can go all the way that way.
Edgar Doctorow.
You don’t have to see the whole road right away–the nearest couple of yards is enough. It’s the same in writing: don’t try to get through everything at once, but write in small portions – that way you won’t go crazy.
Don’t be afraid of a disgusting outline
When you read a book by Stephen King or Charles Bukowski or Salinger, you think they get these stories right the first time. But they don’t. All good writers have their first disgusting drafts. And then second, third, fourth. Then it’s the turn of a tolerable draft, and it’s only after that that you get something sensible.
Almost everyone, even great writers, has a hard time getting creative. And the only way to start writing is to sketch out a weak, disgusting draft.
Perfectionism is the writer’s enemy
The desire to do perfect will haunt you all the time. On the one hand, it’s a good thing, but on the other hand, perfectionism kills the life in a text. Trying to get rid of unnecessary garbage, you will scribble, reduce and change the text until it is dry and lifeless. Know your limits.
The author needs to make you feel at ease
Think of your favorite actors. Each of you is sure to have a couple. You’d probably watch even the worst movie if it had a favorite, right? In fact, you’d watch the weather report nonstop if your favorite actor was in it.
It’s the same with writing. As an author, you have to be approachable. If your outlook on life coincides with the reader’s, and you can express the thoughts that the reader has also had in his head, then he no longer cares so much what happens in your book. He will read it anyway.
Test your material on someone
Find a good friend, relative, or colleague and ask them to impartially evaluate what you’ve written. They don’t have to be writers either, because you’re probably writing for regular people. It’s much easier for the outside eye to see all the flaws and gaps in your text, and there are some, rest assured.
Good writing is a useful skill, and it’s not hard to develop.