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1. Get an ugly notebook. They're
infinitely better than pretty or expensive
notebooks because you'll never worry
about sitting on them, spilling things on
them or, most importantly, writing bad
things in them. And all writing begins
bad. So invest in an ugly notebook.
2. Have a favorite pen. Your pen CAN
be beautiful or expensive. It can be one
of those silly gel pens from the 90s. It
can have a cupcake on top or lava
inside, whatever. When you use your
favorite pen, you'll always feel special.
3. Read Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray
Bradbury. It's the most important writing
book you'll ever read and will inspire
you more than you can ever imagine.
Read it, underline it, believe it.
infinitely better than pretty or expensive
notebooks because you'll never worry
about sitting on them, spilling things on
them or, most importantly, writing bad
things in them. And all writing begins
bad. So invest in an ugly notebook.
2. Have a favorite pen. Your pen CAN
be beautiful or expensive. It can be one
of those silly gel pens from the 90s. It
can have a cupcake on top or lava
inside, whatever. When you use your
favorite pen, you'll always feel special.
3. Read Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray
Bradbury. It's the most important writing
book you'll ever read and will inspire
you more than you can ever imagine.
Read it, underline it, believe it.
4. Reread your favorite novels, especially the ones you loved as a teenager, as a
child. Those stories are what made you a writer, so keep a close relationship with
them.
5. Writing begins as something beautiful in your head and becomes something ugly
and unrecognizable on the page. Editing begins as something ugly on the page
and ends in something beautiful. Don't worry about this process and don't judge
yourself by a first draft, or even a second draft, or a third. Embrace editing and you'll
find the worthwhile story beneath that mountain of messy words.
6. Write with one person in mind. Don't try to picture a slew of people, like
fifth-graders or divorced women or Canadians. Narrow it down to one person,
maybe a beloved family member or a special friend, a harsh critic or an enemy, or
maybe a hero. Write for and to them, make them laugh, make them cry, make them
want to read a whole series about the characters you've created.
7. Take long walks. Really. Not only are they good for you, but they are a great
chance to be alone, silent and busy in your mind.
8. Introduce yourself as a writer. Never say, "I want to be a writer" or "I'd like to be a
writer." Telling people that you're a writer puts a bit more pressure on you to actually
write.
9. Create a "writing haven." It could be a desk, a favorite coffee shop, a park
bench, a corner in your bedroom, a closet in your house or your building's rooftop.
Just make sure it's somewhere you can visit regularly and try not to use that space
for too many other activities. That way you'll always feel instinctively that it's time to
write when you're in that spot.
10. Don't be afraid of bad writing. You may write 1000 pages of bad writing before
any of it is any good. See now? That takes a lot of pressure off. Just keep writing.
11. Cut out pictures that inspire you and tape them into a notebook or scrapbook or
something. It can be fashion pictures of pages from science magazines,
screenshots from your favorite TV show, quotes, whatever. This can be your
inspiration book. I've been making mine for about 4 years and I pull it out whenever I
need ideas.
12. Make friends with other writers, either online or in real life. It's important to have
support from people who "understand" you.
13. If you've been stuck for awhile, try an art form that you don't usually play around
with, maybe painting or crocheting or baking or scrapbooking. Sometimes using
different parts of your creative brain will jog the part that's frozen.
14. Don't worry too much about rejection. Many famous authors have been rejected
repeatedly for books that went on to be bestsellers and, years later, "classics."
15. Find an editor in your life who loves you enough to tell you when you wrote
something that isn't very good. And love them enough that you know they're not
being mean to you. If they are being mean to you, get rid of them, they're not your
editor. But if they can tell you how it is, even when you don't want to hear it- you are
extremely fortunate and must take good care of that relationship. Thank them, and
don't forget that cookies and cupcakes make nice presents.
Some writing books you need to read:
Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury
Between the Lines by Jessica Morrell
Dynamic Characters by Nancy Kress
The Writer's Guide to Fantasy Literature: From Dragon's Lair to Hero's Quest by
Philip Martin (not just for fantasy writers!)
On Writing by Stephen King
No Plot, No Problem by Chris Baty
child. Those stories are what made you a writer, so keep a close relationship with
them.
5. Writing begins as something beautiful in your head and becomes something ugly
and unrecognizable on the page. Editing begins as something ugly on the page
and ends in something beautiful. Don't worry about this process and don't judge
yourself by a first draft, or even a second draft, or a third. Embrace editing and you'll
find the worthwhile story beneath that mountain of messy words.
6. Write with one person in mind. Don't try to picture a slew of people, like
fifth-graders or divorced women or Canadians. Narrow it down to one person,
maybe a beloved family member or a special friend, a harsh critic or an enemy, or
maybe a hero. Write for and to them, make them laugh, make them cry, make them
want to read a whole series about the characters you've created.
7. Take long walks. Really. Not only are they good for you, but they are a great
chance to be alone, silent and busy in your mind.
8. Introduce yourself as a writer. Never say, "I want to be a writer" or "I'd like to be a
writer." Telling people that you're a writer puts a bit more pressure on you to actually
write.
9. Create a "writing haven." It could be a desk, a favorite coffee shop, a park
bench, a corner in your bedroom, a closet in your house or your building's rooftop.
Just make sure it's somewhere you can visit regularly and try not to use that space
for too many other activities. That way you'll always feel instinctively that it's time to
write when you're in that spot.
10. Don't be afraid of bad writing. You may write 1000 pages of bad writing before
any of it is any good. See now? That takes a lot of pressure off. Just keep writing.
11. Cut out pictures that inspire you and tape them into a notebook or scrapbook or
something. It can be fashion pictures of pages from science magazines,
screenshots from your favorite TV show, quotes, whatever. This can be your
inspiration book. I've been making mine for about 4 years and I pull it out whenever I
need ideas.
12. Make friends with other writers, either online or in real life. It's important to have
support from people who "understand" you.
13. If you've been stuck for awhile, try an art form that you don't usually play around
with, maybe painting or crocheting or baking or scrapbooking. Sometimes using
different parts of your creative brain will jog the part that's frozen.
14. Don't worry too much about rejection. Many famous authors have been rejected
repeatedly for books that went on to be bestsellers and, years later, "classics."
15. Find an editor in your life who loves you enough to tell you when you wrote
something that isn't very good. And love them enough that you know they're not
being mean to you. If they are being mean to you, get rid of them, they're not your
editor. But if they can tell you how it is, even when you don't want to hear it- you are
extremely fortunate and must take good care of that relationship. Thank them, and
don't forget that cookies and cupcakes make nice presents.
Some writing books you need to read:
Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury
Between the Lines by Jessica Morrell
Dynamic Characters by Nancy Kress
The Writer's Guide to Fantasy Literature: From Dragon's Lair to Hero's Quest by
Philip Martin (not just for fantasy writers!)
On Writing by Stephen King
No Plot, No Problem by Chris Baty
