Writing Notes: 10 Things I Learned from Writing

Jun 12, 2006 17:08

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Answered by seperis.

Ten Things I've Learned About Writing (The Lazy Remix): A Completely Impractical Guide to How Jenn Functions

1.) There's no such thing as a stupid idea. Ever. We prove that *every day*.

2.) Love what you create. Love that you can create it at all. It's you, your word processing program and/or notebook, pen/keyboard, and a universe to explore. It can be great or it can suck. But it's yours and you *made* it.

3.) It's fun. Wallow in it. Revel in it. Take it for drinks and molest it if that's what it takes, but never forget that it's writing, and it's art, and it's the best high you will ever have.

4.) Take incredibly stupid chances. Style, pov, narrative voice, hell, *verb tense*, plot point, characterization, whatever. Go crazy. Say you'll write a story without the letter e. I dare you. You might fail a lot--hell, you *will* fail a lot. Don't give a shit. Do it anyway.

5.) Spellcheck will always be your best friend. So not kidding.

6.) Write once about a character you hate sympathetically. Then kill them in the next story to make up for it. We call that therapy. Helps. Or at least, it's really fun to try, don't you think?

7.) Ignore the thick skin thing on critique. Take it personally. Cry to your best friend online about it. Hate the critic for as long as it takes for your ego to unbruise. Apply chocolate and porn. Compose a scathing reply. Then DELETE IT and move on. Trust me. This works.

8.) You will never write the perfect story, no matter what you do. But sometimes, you'll get it *right*. That's better.

9.) Call them muses. Say you hear voices. Tell everyone about your conversational stuffed animals that tell you what to write. Talk about your process like a relgious experience. Because sometimes, it is. And it's a lot more fun that way, don't you think?

10.) There are people better than you, whatever. There are many who are *so much worse*. Seriously. Go read them when you get discouraged. It helps.

writing notes

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