Getting into writing is pretty straightforward. For aspiring and novice writers, one of the first things they’ll often do is to seek out popular advice from more seasoned writers. However, just because a piece of advice is popular doesn’t mean that it will work for you – without taking into account context nor your circumstances, some advice may actually make your writing journey more difficult. Join Wordsmith as we debunk three of the most common and potentially problematic bits of advice, and explain what to do instead!
Write what you know
Ah, “write what you know” – the quote often attributed to Mark Twain that many seem to misunderstand. It’s not a bad piece of advice by any means. Our knowledge and memories make for fine source material and give us the edge over someone who may not have had the same experiences.
If John were a carpenter and Sam were a cook, John writing a book on carpentry would understandably have greater value and sway versus a carpentry book written by Sam (and vice versa for cooking). However, does that mean that Sam should never try writing anything about carpentry at all? Certainly not.
Any writer worth their salt would agree that you need to read in order to write – of course, reading more about topics we are already familiar with would always be beneficial, but this also applies to subjects that lie outside our area of expertise. How much experience or exposure you currently have in a subject does not define your capacity for knowledge in the future. It might not make sense for Sam to write about carpentry now, but if Sam were to read John’s book and try his hand at carpentry, Sam might develop enough skill and experience to also write a book later on.
The optimal time to write
Some writers are firm believers that you need to write every day in order to be great. Both Roald Dahl and Ernest Hemingway had strict routines and were adamant about keeping their writing hours up each and every day – only stopping when they were mentally and creatively exhausted.
“When you stop you are as empty, and at the same time never empty but filling, as when you have made love to someone you love,” said Hemingway in an interview with George Plimpton. “Nothing can hurt you, nothing can happen, nothing means anything until the next day when you do it again. It is the wait until the next day that is hard to get through.”
On the other side of the spectrum, some writers find the grind of daily writing too exhausting. As a result, they preach that the best time to write is when they are feeling inspired – be it a sudden spark during a gym session, on a walk with the dog or perhaps even on the toilet, any moment could potentially be the time to write.
Unfortunately for many of us, both of these options are too extreme. Unless you intend to be a full-time writer, your other commitments will always take precedence. For example, if you work a standard 9-to-5 job, you’re likely only able to write after you’ve gotten off work, had dinner and settled down. If you need to sleep at 11pm, how much of your free time are you willing to dedicate to writing?
Given the same circumstances, it’s also unfeasible to rely on inspiration as the primer. If you feel inspired to write while on the job, you can’t exactly put aside a client’s assignment to work on a hobby – your boss would probably fire you pretty quickly. Again, this leaves us with the few hours in the evening after getting off work. What happens if inspiration doesn’t strike during this period because we’re exhausted? We’ll never have a chance to write if that was the case!
It’s true that writing routinely is necessary in order to improve, but we must also take into account our prior obligations. Set up a schedule where you can write comfortably without having to worry about deadlines and time limits – perhaps half an hour every night or only during the weekends, but don’t use (the lack of) inspiration as an excuse to avoid writing.
Write for yourself
Cyril Connolly (an English literary critic and writer) once wrote in the February 1933 edition of The New Statesmen magazine, “better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self.”
To be able to write what you want without a care for what other people have to think or say is a luxury – something that only hobby writers and people who don’t work as a professional writer can enjoy. Whether you are a marketer, a novelist or a children’s book author, there are and always will be a specific audience who you want to read your content. Maybe personal morals and ethics were bigger motivators back in Connolly’s time, but you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone willing to hire you today if you could only write for yourself.
Besides the obvious benefit of getting paid, tailoring our writing has several benefits:
· Predetermined tonality, vocabulary and content direction: knowing who your audience is beforehand should mean that you have a firm grasp on your audience’s interests and preferences. While it inevitably limits some of your creativity, it does also help you narrow down what should and shouldn’t work.
· Easier references: unsure how to approach the writing? Consult prior works! Having good references are essential for planning out useful ideas and narratives.
· Quicker views and engagement: having a set audience also means that you can deliver content to them more quickly (as opposed to having to fish for views when writing for yourself). In marketing, initial impressions and engagements are king, especially if you present something fresh and innovative! Can you afford to sit around and wait for audiences to come to you when competitors might steal and repackage your ideas?
Although the barriers to entry are low when it comes to being a writer, the sky’s the limit when it comes to honing your skills. While seeking others’ advice is always a good start, do be wary about how you interpret the advice – otherwise you may find your writing habits built on unstable foundations. If you have any questions about the process, just give your friendly neighbourhood Wordsmiths a shout!