Everything I Learned About Writing Over 35 Years, Pt 1
Somewhat Organized In The Order I Learned Them.
The great story idea you have is one of many, many ideas you’ll have throughout your life. That one great idea is not going to make your career.
Do not fall in love with your ideas. You will have ideas that will not work. I’ve had ideas that I revised and revised for years, no matter that my writers’ group told me to let the idea go. They were right. I had no way to corral a Hunter-S-Thompsonesque-take-on-an aquatic-alien-bachelor-party-before-the-human-sized-groom-meets-his-whale-bride.
Read, watch, and consume anything relating to your genre. Art is like technology. You have to know what neat new innovations are going on to learn from them.
When brainstorming, go with your sixth idea. Your tenth idea.
You are your only reader. Are you having fun writing the story? Your reader will feel that fun. Does your scene scare you? It will scare your reader. But be honest with yourself: if a scene doesn’t make you feel anything, there is no shame in setting it aside. If revising stops being fun, let the whale-bride go.
Anything you write counts toward your learning to write. You may abandon a story, but that experience of writing it will help.
Reading, watching movies, and thinking about your story all count as writing time.
Find stories, movies, and shows you like and emulate them. Take them apart and examine them, then see which story fits your idea. Write fanfic. Do not worry that readers may think you are ripping off that media. Your personality and style will take those media you like and make them brand new. I regret that I did not know this for years, but my writing journey has taken me back around to doing this, and my writing is better for it.
Many people only have a few hours per day when they have peak energy to create. Note the time of day when you feel most like creating, then arrange your life around that time. You’ll only have enough energy for a few hours at most, so protect that time.
Write what you read. If you’re writing Romance, be an existing Romance fan. If you are not, readers will see you are not having fun, and the story will be lifeless.
Find an existing community. A writers’ group, either online or in person. Podcast communities. You will learn faster when you share this group’s encouragement and resources. This goes for Reddit boards, No Sleep, or anywhere you submit writing for others to read.
Find a publication that you like. Submit stuff to them. Over and over. Make that publication the first place you submit anything. You will develop a relationship with the editor that will give you an advantage over time.
Attend livestreams and conventions. Ask for advice. Or opinions. People like sharing both.
Have some subjects ready to discuss: “do you watch this show? What did you think of the latest episode?” Give someone the gift of geeking out.
It is who you know. It is up to you to develop friendships with like-minded people, other writers, readers, editors, agents, etc. Be sincere in sharing what you like, just like being at a party. Show up enough times, be genuine, and people will notice.
You are only as successful as the five people closest to you. Over time, you will outgrow communities. Stay friends but always challenge yourself by finding more skillful people to learn from.
There are many writers’ retreats you can attend: Clarion, Odyssey, Taos Toolbox, Breadloaf. Spend the money and attend. You not only learn, but you also learn the business and make business connections.
Be patient with yourself. You will discover your insecurities, unreasonable goals, jealousies, and prejudices. Everyone goes through this. Be honest in your community, listen to others as they share, and that will help you grow as a person.
You can write from personal experiences, no matter how boring you think you are. Sure, everybody knows about grocery stores, and about working in grocery stores, but you know a detail or two about your store that no one else knows. And your “boring” experience will be relatable to all those people who’ve worked in grocery stores.
No matter what you write, your true feelings will be on the page. It’s unnerving to expose yourself to strangers. But the more unnerved you feel, the more real and relatable it will be for your reader. Many stories I have sold were all about my friends, wanting to get back at bullies, or job annoyances.
Do not do everything yourself. Do not think “I can learn to format epubs/edit my book/draw covers/market my book.” Some things are easy to learn. The tough things are worth saving up money for and paying an experienced professional to do.
How can you tell if it’s worth finding a skilled professional: how much do you make an hour at your job? How much time will it take to learn the skill to your satisfaction? If a professional costs less than your time, go with the professional.
Avoid work for free. Always pay for editing, covers, website work, etc. People who are paid and expect complete payment usually pay attention to your deadlines and needs. They too become part of your community.
Honor your commitments. Be respectful to everyone. Pay on time. The writing world is tiny. Social media makes it tinier. Being a jerk gets around quick. Thankfully my neurotic southern politeness kept me safe.
Would you like to read stories for free? Fazgood started as an AD&D character and turned into an Updike’s Rabbit with eldritch body humor. “The Flesh Sutra” was inspired by a heartbreak. Just scan these QR codes and you’ll download from Google Drive.
