I like to think that I constantly strive to be a better writer. After all, my career kind of depends on it. I feel like every writer has their own foundation rules that they simply have to share with the world, so I'll cannonball myself into this pool. I'm not going to delve into specific writing rules, so that's going to make this a mile-long post.
Red Smith was once asked whether writing was easy. He said "Writing is easy. You just open a vein and bleed." Writing is rarely a simple process, but when you do it a lot and stop letting other people scare you into thinking that writing is a daunting task, things will get better.
- Nothing you write is going to be 100% original. This obviously doesn't mean you should plagiarize or liberally rip from others. However, for me, once I realized that trying to make the most unique and original story on the face of this earth was a fruitless fight, writing became less of a struggle.
- DON'T write what you know. There is an infinite number of worlds and characters you can explore, and you're just going to write what you know. How boring! Slice-of-life stories can be and are often very good, but most likely, you're in a privileged place in society and that's a narrative we have most likely heard all too often. A quote from Joe Haldeman sums it up: "Bad books on writing tell you to 'WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW', a solemn and totally false adage that is the reason there exist so many mediocre novels about English professors contemplating adultery." Moral of the story: don't be that English professor.
- Don't let some boring idiot tell you that because you haven't taken 50 literature classes that you know nothing about writing. A) honestly, you're not going to learn about creative writing from a standard English literature class, so you already know that they're wrong. B) anyone who says amateurs are not capable of writing good stories, or anything really, is dead wrong. Let me tell you a story: after he made the radio drama War of the Worlds, Orson Welles received an offer from RKO Pictures where they gave him free reign on a feature film. Despite knowing next to nothing about making film, Welles made Citizen Kane, one of the most important films in American cinema. Some film scholars even say that Welles revolutionized film because he knew nothing about making film. Remember that story the next time some idiot tries to tell you otherwise.
- Stop writing stories about gritty old cynical white men. Just stop.
- Everyone tells budding writers to read, read, read, and I totally back that sentiment. I will add watching films and television shows on there. I'm not talking about watching Star Trek on Netflix for the ninth time; watch good films and television shows (although, arguably, Star Trek is damn good television.) Find what makes those movies and shows good and try to translate that into your stories. I feel like this is also something that should be done more in an age that values multimedia production.
- Learning more about film made me a better writer. It really made me consider why we show what we do in stories and how to best tell a story. For some reason, learning about cinematography and mise-en-scene taught me more about writing than any English or creative writing class I ever took. I acknowledge that this totally contradicts my past tip, but hey, it might work for someone!
- Do your research and conduct interviews if you can. It's wild how many people don't know this. This will take you from an okay story to a great story. It makes you more reputable and if you're writing about a culture or group of people you may not know too well, it is absolutely essential. It is so easy to rely on stereotypes when you're writing about marginalized people. Don't be that guy.
- Have a hobby besides reading and writing. There is something so unnerving about people who write 24/7. Get off the computer, go outside, pet a dog, do yoga, take calligraphy classes. Don't just sit at your desk all day, hoping for a miracle. I write some of my best stuff after I go outside, eat my lunch and enjoy the weather. Get some fresh air and do something that scares you.
- I don't buy into the common belief that there is no such thing as writer's block. There are some times where you just honestly cannot force yourself to write. If you're tired or upset, don't force it. Collecting yourself is more important in this circumstance.
- For the love of god, just write! Unless you're in a fog where you cannot write, just do it! There are way too many people that talk all day about the script they're writing or the poetry collection they're compiling, but not actually writing.
Red Smith was once asked whether writing was easy. He said "Writing is easy. You just open a vein and bleed." Writing is rarely a simple process, but when you do it a lot and stop letting other people scare you into thinking that writing is a daunting task, things will get better.