Sharing: How to be a Writer, by Elena Gleason

[anthimeria]

A friend of mine who also has an infrequently-updated but always entertaining blog (link off to the right on my sidebar) has just posted a really neat entry about advice on how to be a writer and when NOT to take it.

Check it out.

I do think that one of the things writing "rules" tend not to mention is that there's a good chance few if any of those rules will apply to everyone.  I know I have my own process that took me years to work out, and in many ways I'm still figuring it out (and I have a degree in writing).  What Elena has to say is smart and down-to-earth, and I agree with her--even if the very thought of trying to write the way she does makes me twitch.  My process is very different than hers, but we're both still writers.

Comments

[elenagleason.com]

Thanks for the link! (And if I really wanted to get more readers for my blog I'd probably put more effort into updating it more than once a month.)

I actually find that most authors who write advice posts will preface them by saying that every writer has a different process and different things that work for them...but then a lot of them will go on to say, "But every writer needs to write regularly in order to hone his or her craft! And you shouldn't worry about quality in your first draft. And there is zero chance that you will ever be able to sell your first story/novel! And revision is a must!" (That last one is the closest I come to agreeing with a writing rule, but I have heard of the odd genius who writes perfectly the first time.)

It has taken me a long, long time to come to terms with the fact that I just can't write on a regular basis and that it's okay.

[anthimeria]

The fact that you had to come to terms with it is one of the reasons I linked. Writing, like just about everything else creative, is something everyone is going to do a little differently. I tend to think the only "rule" that should apply to everyone is "Write the way that works best for you."

[feuervogel]

And the corollary: don't be afraid to try doing it a different way to see if there's a way that works better.

I'm enamoured of the idea of an actual outline after the trouble with my WIP, but I have no idea if I can actually write from an outline that's more detailed than "ok, there are these people X, Y, Z, and they have to A. It starts out here, these are some points I want to hit on the way, and this is how it ends. And here are some of the motivations and double-crosses." I'm willing to give it a try, because there's a chance it's less painful than discovering partway through that there's a huge plot hole you don't know how to fill.

[anthimeria]

Yeah, that's definitely one of the reasons I started getting really into outlines. I had an outline for The Novel, but it was not specific enough, and I had to do a ton of re-writing. Skywatch was better but not there yet, and we'll see how the outline for Sanctuary works. Good luck with yours!