The Rain-Soaked Writer

Just a young English Major who loves rainy days, iced coffee, writing while listening to smooth jazz, and other pretty things. All interaction from my main, @luminosity2

[therainsoakedwriter]

Hey, Hi!

I’m so grateful to the over 1,000 of you who follow me. I love helping every one of you learn more about writing.

As you may have noticed, my queue has emptied. I’m no longer blogging or reblogging here. As I’ve grown as a writer, I turned to other platforms on the web. Also, I’ve found myself needing to spend more time writing. I’ve been really happy lately creating and writing in my own spaces.

Since I’m no longer able to engage in the writeblr community as much as I’d like, I’m retiring this blog for the moment. Thank you all for every like and reblog. Happy writing!

[lunamanar]

Things I Try to Remember When I’m Nervous About Writing

1. Write what you want to read. 

2. There is no problem with a story so great that it cannot be fixed in revision. Keep going.

3. If your story is as uncreative as you think it is, you wouldn’t want to write it so badly. You want to write it because there’s a unique spin on it you have never seen, and want to express. Many people may write similar stories, but it’s the details that make it personal. You may not know it now, but there is someone who is looking for exactly what you’re writing. If you don’t finish it, they’ll never see it. 

4. You can write something amazing and still be met with silence. There are myriad reasons for this that have nothing to do with the quality of what you produce. 

4.1 It’s okay to repeat post your work if no one has seen it. 

4.2 It’s okay to post your work in multiple places.

5. You don’t have to agree with every criticism (but take it gracefully anyway). 

6. Most writers are scared of the same things you are.

7. Don’t judge your works in progress against the archives of finished, polished stories other writers have put together. Archives are Internet portfolios and generally don’t show all the multitude of failures, incomplete, and draft-form works those writers are also struggling with. They aren’t perfect and you don’t have to be, either. Keep working and you will have a portfolio of your own. 

8. Don’t be afraid to share your ideas with other writers. It’s not annoying as long as you’re not self-important about it. Be humble and gracious, and others will reciprocate.

8.1 You can’t write as well in a vacuum; the more people know that you are working on something, and what, the more support you will get for that work. Starting a dialogue before you post something will make it more likely people will read it when you do post it. 

9. It’s okay to take breaks. If the ideas just aren’t coming, go do something else for a while. 

10. Be kind to yourself. Don’t call yourself names. You are not a failure, or uncreative, or boring. You wouldn’t call other people those things, so don’t do it to yourself. 

I don’t know if these are helpful to other people, but they are helpful to me, so just in case, here they are!

[vennitrii]

Honestly writing out a second copy of a writing peice is really helpful for me bc as im copying it i can better see mistakes and holes. It may be “extra” work but its a good stratagy

[theliteraryarchitect]

Writers: If you enjoyed writing it, that’s enough. Writing can be an end in itself. It doesn’t have to be “good” by anyone else’s standards. It doesn’t have to be published or validated in any way. Delight in putting words on the page. Delight in falling down pretty rabbit holes that might not “make sense” to others. IT’S OKAY TO WRITE JUST TO WRITE, just to have fun, just to please yourself. This is your permission slip. Go forth and create nonsense. I’m cheering for you. xo

[deadlywritten]

It’s worth it!

Have I learned one thing about writing?

Then that it’s hard. You have to put all your effort into it, you have to worry whether people will like it, you’ll have to edit it, and, by then, still have to like it yourself.

But thing is: You shouldn’t give up. It’s okay to doubt, to rather want to do anything else. As long as you don’t lose hope, confidence. One day, you will get the comments you deserve, the kudos you deserve, the likes you deserve.

As long as you keep going nothing can go wrong.

[michaelbjorkwrites]

"And now comes the big question: what are you going to write about? And the equally big answer: anything you damn well want. Anything at all... as long as you tell the truth." - Stephen King

[kaylewiswrites]

I sometimes forget that writing happens on a blank page. 

Like if I have a problem, I don’t need to agonize over it? I can just…write the problem out of existence. I can change any and all perimeters. The setting can take place in an igloo, if I want, or a basement, or the back of the bear. I can delete characters and add in characters as much as I need to. I need to get someone here to there really fast? I can invite teleportation. Boom, next problem. 

I guess my point is, don’t take anything you’re writing as cannon just yet. Anything can be changed. 

[michaelbjorkwrites]

This advice is from my new Instagram account, where I’ll be sharing writing tips. If you’re an avid Instagrammer, I hope you’ll check it out here!

— — —

Your stories are worth telling. For more tips on how to craft meaning, build character-driven plots, and grow as a writer, follow my blog.

[jackiesilverstark]

Tips for when you can't write a scene or can't get into it:

Find the song your character listens to all the time and try to find why that song is special and what they think when they hear it.

Imagine/write the scene in the same or a similar place where it unfolds, be it the kitchen or the garden. (And...)

Imagine/write the scene at the same time it occurs. Cover yourself with a blanket to pretend it's night if you have to.

When you're imagining, pretend you're the pov character and write down the special details they *insert all senses*, what they would like to do but can't and the thoughts that come to their mind.

Write dialogue that feels special first and try to find a way to make it shine and be of importance when writing the scene. (Or... )

Write physical language first, subtle or not, and make it special or important.

[strangerays]

Family vs. art

(@lighthearted.writer on IG)

You know you want to be a writer, right? 

Good. Don’t let a soul stop you.

There’s a lot more to being a writer than writing, and it’s important that you and your loved ones know that. If you’re struggling to somehow “convince” your parents that the job of being a writer is valid, then I recommend taking a step back first.

Consider why they say what they say. In some scenarios, writing really isn’t a stable job… when it’s left alone. Especially at first, you need to do something else on the side. Don’t put all your eggs in the same basket. Don’t set your heart on something that in all seriousness might not happen. Have more than one goal, more than one end goal. Still, don’t lose that sight.

Writing is important. The world needs it to spread ideas and opinions. There are many forms of writing. You can be a novelist. You can be a poet/songwriter. You can be a journalist. You can be a screenplay writer. You can be an editor. The list goes on. It’s neverending, and some of them are more rewarding than others. Choose what suits you.

The worst thing you can do is wait. Don’t wait to write. Don’t wait for someone to give you the “Okay, let’s go!” If you wait too long, you’ll be busy. You won’t have the time and then you’ll feel trapped. The last thing you want to do is trap yourself. At least try not to let yourself be the reason you miss your chance to be an artist.

If you want to be a writer, save yourself the later pressure in life and go for it. It might take a while, but, quite simply, you can do it. Do what you want.

If things are meant to be, they will be. Just because you don’t start out as a writer doesn’t mean you won’t end up as one. 

[silversideeven]

Hey new writers, here’s the single biggest bit of professional advice I can give you: be polite. There are so many different paths to success in this business that I couldn’t possibly articulate them all, but none of them involve rudeness.

Rejected by an agent or publisher? Be polite and gracious about it. Introduced to someone new? Be polite. Mixer or social event or con? BE POLITE.

You can sell yourself without being a jerk, and you don’t have to make yourself meek and invisible by being nice.

Be polite.

[raevenlywrites]

Heres a fun writing tip I just tripped over while babbling to my wife:

If you have trouble with a certain detail, think about its stakes. I never think about body language until it has a higher stake, until one character is very much thinking about every accidental touch. Same with clothes. Unless a character is very aware of what the other is wearing, I never describe clothes.

A lot of readers will be the same way. Things become "filler" when their inclusion has nothing at stake. Dont get me wrong, filler has its uses (giving things details gives them life), but the scale against which you should weigh your filler is its stakes. You're less likely to bore a reader if the details you're including have the potential to change the story.

[h-brook-writes]

On the Expectations of Other People

If your family doesn’t want you to write, or thinks you should write “nicer” or “happier” things than those that interest and inspire you, or wants you to go into a career entirely incompatible with your creative dreams:

You’re the one who has to live your life. It’s yours, no matter who “gave” it to you, gave birth to you, or named you. 

Write your goddamn story, and write it because you want to. Don’t do yourself the disservice of sidelining your dreams when you could be living them out.

[writingdotcoffee]

“You have to finish things — that’s what you learn from, you learn by finishing things.”

— Neil Gaiman

[adorhauer]

Today, I:

- Made an outline of the next year’s work plan - Carved out days/times to write and edit query letters and submission forms - Picked a couple of stories I want to write on the side - Mapped out the specific days I’m submitting query letters - Made a list of sources on finding the right agents for my work - Made deadlines for freelance work submissions - Made a spreadsheet for documenting who I send submissions to - Created a marketing strategy for my social media - Fine-tuned my schedule to include times for going out/being active - Tacked on a mental health checklist and support system for the bad days

The takeaway: if you are a writer, especially one that works from home- or if you’re considering it- there will be people who tell you it’s a lazy job. That you don’t do anything. That you sit there on the couch scrolling or sleeping. And worst of all, that it’s easy. Let me tell you, it’s not. It’s hard. It’s scary. It’s stressful. But it’s worth it.

Sure, there are bad days. There are days where I want to crawl in a hole and never pick up a pen again. But it passes. It always does. The itch to write comes back, and after a few slow breaths I’m back on the horse. When you’re writing, it’s important to surround yourself with positivity. This doesn’t mean hanging around people who say your book is the best thing in existence. It means spending time with people who don’t put you down for wanting to do what makes you happy. Because their words often become your thoughts about yourself, and that’s hard to shake. If no one has said it today, you and your writing are both valid and you have nothing to be ashamed of. And don’t forget to save time for mental health!

[mvcreates-deactivated20200727]

I think because writers in general are dedicated to improving their craft, writing advice often gets reblogged more often in the writeblr community than other kinds of writerly content... But consider this: reading other people’s writing makes us better writers too! This is doubly true when we take the time to consider (and communicate) what we like about someone else’s work, which is part of why I myself am so committed to reviewing and reblogging other people’s original content. It isn’t just about community building and support (though that’s important too); it’s also about learning from others how to be a better writer (and setting an example to follow suit)!

[theliteraryarchitect]

Concept: Maybe Your First Draft DOESN’T Suck

Hear me out on this one. There’s a lot of advice out there (I’ve given it myself) about being okay with writing a shitty first draft, and I basically agree with the premise. Too many new writers get paralyzed with the expectation that they should be able to sit down and barf out a flawless masterpiece, when in actuality good stuff usually requires a TON of editing in the post-first-draft stages.

However. As someone who has been writing and editing my shit for 20 years now, I must say that, more and more, when I get lost in the weeds in a writing project, when I get so far down a theoretical rabbit hole I can’t remember what the fuck my story is even supposed to be about, when I get to that point where I feel like the more I write the worse it gets… it’s the first draft I return to for clues about the real essence of what it is I’m trying to write. And it never, ever lets me down.

Your first draft has magic in it.

That initial spark, that thread of a story, that excitement you had that made you want to start this project… it’s living somewhere inside your first draft, and it’s precious as fuck. And it’s a sad truth that, sometimes, the more you edit, the more that spark gets lost. So you may need to return to your first draft to find it again.

I’m not saying don’t edit. I’m not saying that your first draft is a genius work of art that’s ready to publish. I’m saying there’s SOMETHING in there which is true and magical and important, and in the long run it may do you a disservice to think of it as “shitty,” crappy, useless, garbage, etc. You may miss out on what it has to offer you.

Things you might discover in your first draft that can get your project back on track (and/or get you excited again about a piece that’s started to make you cranky):

A particular character you love who you decided “wasn’t important” and cut from your story

An important emotion that’s being conveyed

A unique rhythm or style that got lost after too much editing

A fun story thread

An atmosphere, place, or description that excites you

A general feeling in the writing or the story

A sense of why you wanted to write this in the first place 

What do you all think? Has this happened to you? Do you ever go back to your first draft and realize it’s NOT garbage? That it has something special you want to keep and develop throughout your editing process?