writing.
things i've learned throughout the years
speaking from personal experience, writing, whether it's for a fic or an original work, is a process that comes to everyone very differently. which is also why it took me a WHILE to figure out what worked for me.
you've definitely heard this one before, but: 1. do not worry about making your first draft perfect. it will seem terrible, and that's ok.
it's the most common writing advice i've always heard as well, and i always understood what it meant, logically, but it was a piece of advice that was very hard to follow.
the second i gave myself permission to suck, though – the moment i said "i'm going to write trash," is when everything started flowing so much more easily.
it helps IMMENSELY to just push ahead and write whatever comes to you in the moment. do not start searching up synonyms. (yeah, i see you) and if you hate a word or phrase, put a *** next to it and come back later. chances are, you'll change your mind after seeing it from a new perspective, or be able to come up with something to replace it with.
it's always easier to edit than write from scratch, so give yourself material you can edit.
2. write for yourself. write what you love – what you would read.
it definitely draws people in more than any formula you think works or a piece you deliberately craft for a specific audience.
3. as long as your writing is comprehensible, grammar means little in front of the emotion your work conveys
i've read so many works that have left such a profound effect on me, solely because i could feel the amount of heart the author poured into it, it's always easy to look past minor mistakes, as long as what the writer says makes sense.
4. most importantly, when you're starting on that path of developing your writing skills, don't show your work to anybody. hear me out:
i've written about seven stories (for various fandoms) that will never see the light of day – not because i dislike them, but because i now realize, i had to write them for me.
and these stories (and the evident progress in my storytelling skils across all of them) are what give me the most confidence when i doubt my skills.
you can always share your works in the future, but the first couple of times you venture out with a vision in mind, make yourself your audience, it prevents you from diluting your ideas with expectations of other people's perceptions.
+ and finally, a bonus point:
a lot of the writing process, is just discovering yourself, in various ways
i always used to hear writers say:
"my characters did this on their own" or "the story just wrote itself like this"
and i never understood, because MY characters never did anything of their volition, in fact, they refused to do what i intended for them to and it would be a struggle to write a scene sometimes
and again recently i had that same problem, where i couldn't for the life of me, figure out how to describe a character performing a particular action. i waited for days for any sort of inspiration or logic to strike me, but it wasn't working.
i surprised even myself though, when i highlighted the whole section and deleted it.
but as soon as i let go of writing that one scene the way i'd planned it, a completely new option presented itself, and writing THAT scene was so much easier.
so no. my characters never tell me what to do, but they tell me what they don't want to do, and the realization that common experiences in writing will manifest differently in different people, really made me realize that writing is something you should follow your instincts in.
technicality-wise, you will always keep learning and improving. growth never stops.
so it's important to do what feels true to you, and do it in a way that makes YOU feel comfortable, whether that includes taking risks, being spontaneous, or starting small.
that's when some of the best things are created.
