Just Write Your Damn Story
I see blog posts from a lot of writers on Tumblr. Or potential writers. Or folks wanting to write but not knowing where to begin, and asking for advice.
Without exception almost all the “advice” I’ve seen has been in the form of ripping apart the works of other authors and saying “don’t do *that*” then going on to explain why, which invariably involves that person’s political/genderissues/sexualbias/plainolddislikes/whatever agenda.
I remember Stephen King saying, when asked continuously by folks, how do you write, replying “pick up a pen and paper and just get some words down, then take it from there”.
I see so *much* scorn on what I’d term “traditional” stories and novels it’s ridiculous. Isn’t there room in the world for all forms of writing, for all views? Isn’t it enough we’re censored in our everyday speech, with thought police telling us “you can’t say x y z in case it’s offensive to someone” which of course, negates free speech if what you’re wanting to say is not inciting hatred?
So here’s some advice to folks wanting to write. Pick up a pencil (you can rub out mistakes easier than with a pen) and paper, and get to it. Leave your device alone, because you’ll just get autocorrected up the wazoo or distracted by holier than thou “experts” and that’ll make you feel like you’ll never be good enough or able to do it.
If you’ve a story to tell, absolutely, one hundred percent, do not give a shite about whether it’s “right” or “wrong” to tell it and even moreso if it’s socially acceptable. Write it down.
Let’s face it, how many writers are getting actually published these days anyway? So at some point you’ll probably have to make the decision to self publish or not, before you die of old age waiting for an agent, followed by publishing deal.
Stop listening to what is or is not “canon”. Just let your words flow. Get them on old fashioned paper. It’s YOUR story after all. Do you think those famed authors you admire so much asked ANYONE for advice on how to write? Doubtful....
And if others scorn your writing? Ignore them. It’s easy enough to do.
If you’re happy with your story, with what you’ve written, then go ahead and self publish, get it out there and share it with the world. Not everyone may like it but many will. And because you didn’t listen to the advice of others who are giving you nothing more than their own perspective and mindset, what you write will resonate more sincerely with others who share your viewpoints. Others will get you.
I used to be an animal hide tanner, self employed. That was my trade. I sidelined into taxidermy. As with the writing “community”, there’s a lot of elitism disguised as “friendly advice” in there. In reality it turned out to be nothing of the sort.
*Whatever* it is that you want to do..writing, art, crafting, grafting, no matter what, if it’s your passion, stop looking to others for inspiration and “how to’s”. Once you’ve learned the *process* of doing it, just get on with it, do it, take the chance, but DO it.
Yes, I’m a writer too. I’ve a book on the way next year. (non fiction). I don’t give advice (except for this and it’s hardly what others would call helpful though it IS blunt and to the point). But I never listened to tips, hints and advice from other writers when their method of passing it along was to tear the works of others to shreds. Because even if what they say is technically justifiable, to the person whose work they’re dissecting, well, if you were in their shoes, how’d you feel about that?
It’s bitchiness, plain and simple.
The best writers will tell you to follow your passion, your heart and your instincts, and just to write. That’s all. Just get writing.
Social media is so full already of people all too willing to tear others down in an attempt to make their own “presentation” seem superior. It’s sad because it has the potential to be so much more than that.
I’ve seen posts from folks praising Tumblr for being a “safe space” where you can find support and friendship and good advice and to an extent, yup, ‘s true. But it’s no different to any other social media platform. There are those who are champing at the bit to rip the work of others to shreds, and they do, and they disguise it as “here’s how *not* to write”.
So if you’re reading these folks for advice, how can you be sure that at some point in the future, they won’t be doing the same to *your* work?
Be resiliant. Be self reliant. Be confident or fake it til you make it.
But write the damn book already.
