What advice do you have for new writers?
We’ve reached the last post of our Ask the Author series, and today’s responses were inspired by several requests for what kind of advice would you give new writers?
So here it is, five points for new writers to help you as you begin your writer’s journey.
If you want to write stories, make stories a part of your life.
Brandann Hill-Mann said it best, “Consume stories.” Her advice is predicated on the idea that stories are presented in a myriad of ways: books, TV shows, movies, comics, plays, so on and so forth. “Find ways to consume the same story in different mediums to see what appeals to you and why. Consume media you love so you can take those elements forward with you. Consume media you don’t like so you can think about why it didn’t work for you, and how you’d do it differently.” And each of the authors expressed the same sentiment. Rayna York, Sophie Fahy both intimate that reading provides tools to develop plot. Cognitively, we learn thought modeling because our brains are set up to mimic first in order to build the skill set necessary to develop our own unique style, so reading is critical. My advice has always been to Read. Read and read some more. Read widely. Read within the genre you want to write as well as outside of it. Stephen King wrote in On Writing that, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that. Reading is the creative center of a writer’s life.”
“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that. Reading is the creative center of a writer’s life.”
If you want to write stories, you have to write.
Most writers you talk to will tell you to write everyday. Since Stephen King is my go to, he wrote in On Writing that “I write everyday [...] and when I’m not I feel at loose ends with myself and have trouble sleeping,” which resonates loudly for me. I do write everyday and when I don’t I turn into a version of mom-wife godzilla tromping through my house screeching and expelling vitriol fire. Writers work hard to determine a routine that sets them up for the success of forward movement and meeting deadlines, but this can look different for every writer. Rayna York suggested “write everyday, even if it’s crap,” because like Jody Piccoult’s famous quotation, “You can’t edit a blank page.” Sophie Fahy suggests writing everyday even if it's just letters, journals or a diary, and when you feel comfortable there, begin to learn the craft. Julia Scott offered this golden nugget, “draft as though no one will ever read your book, and edit as though everyone will,” which ties into Ally Aldridge’s warning not to give into “perfectionism.”
If you want to write, find a writer community as a means of support.
Do you read acknowledgements at the end of the novel? Writers notoriously write the following phrase: writing is a solitary endeavor, but the book you’ve just read had a lot of help getting it to where it is. This is followed by the plethora of names. The truth is that though writing is solitary, every writer needs their “writer friends” like Piper Bee suggests. “Not only will they be a source of inspiration and encouragement, but if you have a good relationship, they'll tell you what needs fixing. Plus, talking for hours on end about stories and books is a good time!” Rayna York added that having a group of writer friends you trust to be honest with you and your writing will make your book stronger. “[If I’d had that support] with my last novel, [and a writing friend to tell me] that my main character was too bitchy and annoying [...] it would have saved me a lot of negative reviews.”
If you want to write, don’t give up.
Besides being solitary, writing is really hard work. I’ve quoted it before but it works to say it again, Ernest Hemingway said, “all writers do is sit down at the typewriter and bleed,” which speaks to not only the arduousness of the task, but the emotionally draining work of it as well. Sophie Fahy said for her the most important advice was “don’t give up. If [being a writer] is what you want to be, what you want to be doing for the long haul. DO. NOT. STOP. No matter the negativity from others or bad feedback or even self-doubt [...] I believe my current novel I've finished is the BEST book I've ever produced [...] and the amount of re-writes I did were [intense]. I wanted to give up but I didn't.” And Julia Scott added the point that a danger is getting into a comparison game. “Don’t compare your writing style, your writing speed, your routine, your methods, or ANYTHING to anyone else. Your journey is unique and won’t look like anyone else’s, and that is perfectly okay.” Add to that Ally Aldridge’s wisdom, “As long as you are writing, you are making progress [...] Don’t be the one holding you back, or putting yourself down.”
If you want to write, have fun.
Finally, even in the difficult moments of writing, ultimately it should be something you enjoy. Julia Scott reminds us, “...don’t forget to have fun with it. As soon as it stops being fun or filling you with joy, the end result will suffer and your readers will ultimately notice. You’re writing because you love it, don’t forget that.”
