Thursday, December 28, 2023

Countdown to 2024 - Nine Writing Tips Before Christmas - #4 - Switch Off That Brain!

Countdown + Writing

Don't overthink. Or from a broader point of view: don't brood. Don't whine. Don't worry.

Advice is what it is: an opinion of another person. Listen to them, learn from them, but don't depend on them.

It's an odd dilemma: you must learn from others, to avoid their mistakes, and to improve your own work. On the other hand you must develop a spine. (Yeah, that's a little harsh, but read on...)


Don't ask. They will tell you.

Don't ask on Discord if something works -- your readers' response will tell you. Hell, you know yourself the moment you put your pen down / stop hammering that keyboard. 

Of course you can ask (and to be honest you should). But always question the answer.

Half the peeps on Discord (Twitter, or any forum) have no clue, and the other half lack the talent to become successful. (Yeah, I know, I belong to both groups.) That's harsh, yes, but the truth is that we're all looking for that golden rule, that final solution, the recipe-that-never-fails. It doesn't exist.

There is nothing wrong with asking feedback, comments and / or help, but not all those replies are useful. And sometimes you have to wonder: are some of the questions even worth to be asked? Or should you bother others for the (sometimes blatantly obvious) answers?

Here's what I think is the best way to learn: before asking a question you should try to think of an answer yourself. Then check that answer against all the resources available on the Internet. Then, when still in doubt or trying to get a confirmation, ask. You'll learn way more that way.


Grow. A. Spine.

Should you worry, or should you write?

Authors have to be understanding, willing to learn. They have to listen to the feedback of their readers, think about their audiences.

And sometimes, they simply have to be arrogant bastards.

There are certain ways to do things, yes. There are rules to writing, and their are practical approaches to spelling, to story arcs, to character development. But when all's said and done it's still your story.

So, stop asking advice on every little bit. Stop worrying about the opinion of every reader, because you just can't make all of them happy. Stop worrying about the quality of your work, or if it will insult someone (because no matter what you write, it will). Stop overthinking.

Learn as much as you can, learn to understand your tools, then stop questioning yourself and write, damnit.


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