Hey everyone! It's Sunday. Isn't that great.
I decided to keep this post a bit shorter than usual to make it a little bit easier to digest. I'll start with something a lot of new writers don't like to hear. They're still trying to find the GOLDEN RULE to writing the next BREAKOUT NOVEL. But that's not how it works. There is no such thing as a golden rule in writing. There aren't even many rules (except maybe Pixar's - which are useful because they're concise).
There are only two rules and they don't only apply to writing but ANY project. They're not even what can be strictly defined as a rule.
Rule 1: KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO WRITE
I can't remember how often I broke this rule. It's the most essential and it always trips me up if I ignore it. I will often get an idea for a character or a scene in my mind with people doing something... and I just start to write. I give myself the 'oh it'll work out in the end!' talk just so that I can write (because that's what I love to do!). BUT of course it doesn't work out. Because I don't have enough information. The scene is written in an hour and perhaps the next few days there will be more great scenes following it. And then the idea just... trickles away. The story stops making sense and I stop writing it.
When you later ask me 'What story did you want to write? What did you want to achieve?' I couldn't answer it. I had no goal or the goal was too small to work out. It was simply just a scene - a floating scene that either doesn't fit anywhere or might fit somewhere in the future.
(And to all of those who think 'oh she's just quitting at the 30k words mark: I'm not. I managed to continue a lot of stories and even finished some of those but the time I'd have to spend editing them either makes it not worth the while or necessitates the start of a whole new story.)
If you don't know what to write you'll flounder like some fish on land. You'll get somewhere maybe in the first stages of your draft but later on it will be incomprehensible. This is probably the most important thing I've learned in all my life.
You have to know what you want/want to say. Otherwise you're lost.
RULE 2: WRITE
This is a simple one. In order to get EXCEPTIONAL at something you have to practise it. If you don't, you won't become exceptional. If you don't care about being exceptional or just want to be 'ok', you really should find something to do that you DO care about to the extent that you're willing to do it several hours a day and at 3 AM if inspiration strikes.
It's difficult for me still. I'd often rather procrastinate than practice. But eh. In reality there's nothing better than writing anyway.
Let me put this in a simple equation.
Amount of Practice = Increase in Ability = Success.
ADDITIONAL ADVICE RULE 3: TAKE BREAKS
This rule is more of an add-on. It should be heeded but you HAVE TO BE CAREFUL not to equal break with procrastination. A break can be 15 - 45 minutes during a writing day.
I wouldn't recommend more than the given time frame because after 45 minutes of break your brain will probably already feel like potato mush and you won't remember what you did 45 minutes ago.
About the lower end I'm not so sure. At times you'll be writing on a difficult project and your brain will just despair and OCD/depression you (if you're so inclined) if you stress it too much. BUT you also want to keep momentum once you're in the ZONE. This is the most important. It doesn't truly matter how long your breaks are (15-45 works for me) as long as you can easily slip back into the ZONE when it's over. That should ALWAYS be your priority. To be able to jump back in right where you left off with clarity.
All right. Let's sum up this post:
There are really only TWO writing (and life) RULES you ever need to know.
1. Know What you Want to Write
2. Write
Do you agree? Do you disagree? Let me know in the comments! It took me
fifteen years to figure this out and I'm curious if it's useful to
anyone but myself
Have a productive Sunday! Bleep-Bloop, I am WriteBot.
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