Us writers are a finicky and quirky bunch. And if you think any of us want to hear advice from anybody about how we do this thing that is so close to our hearts, think again, right? Most of the time, we don't want to hear any advice. We have a way and we do it that way. But there are a few moments when we are not just open to but asking for advice. When we get stuck, get a scathing review, or can't find that next idea... I don't know about you, but I search everywhere, from the mind of my 3 year old niece to the pages of books my neighbors leave on the curb for the spark of advice that will get me back on the creative path.
Brain Pickings has one of the best lists of advice from a variety of authors that I've ever seen. If you want a new perspective on your craft, I recommend going there. Maria Popova, the author of Brain Pickings, is one of the best curators I've ever read.
I've curated a few highlights here with my own commentary on 3 of the best pieces of advice from her amazing list.
1. "Work on one thing at a time until finished." -- Henry Miller
If there was ever a piece of advice that contradicted so dramatically the current Internet culture, I feel like this is it. And at the same time, it's so utterly important. I find that I get distracted and unproductive when I try to do more than one thing at a time. For instance, trying to listen to music and write at the same time is tough for me. But I don't think that's what Mr. Miller means.
I think what he means is to start one book, one story, one book, and work on it until it is finished rather than try and spread your head between several projects at once. Not only does it mean that you will dig deep into that particular project, but you will also learn the art of finishing something creative, which can be much more difficult than we realize.
2. “Something is always born of excess: great art was born of great terrors, great loneliness, great inhibitions, instabilities, and it always balances them.” -- Anais Nin
There is much to be said of leading a balanced life, and many people strive for it. Sometimes we need it. But as artists, I think it's good to remember that sometimes we have to go to the extreme of our emotional capacity, whether that is for joy, terror, sadness, or discomfort, to explore something new and come back with a story we are burning to tell the rest of the world. Or, if not tell that story, then have access to those extreme emotions to pour them into our characters.
The winter I spent in a log cabin on an island in the middle of a frozen lake was intense, and I still draw on those emotions. Late night partying in the city has brought a whole different set of emotions to draw on. Marriage has brought with it new dimensions of every imaginable emotion. I live them because I love my life, but I also know that they are a well of inspiration for my stories and characters.
3. “Show up, show up, show up, and after a while the muse shows up, too.” -- Isabel Allende
I know a lot of authors who want to wait for inspiration, to wait for the right time to pen the novel, or the moment of epiphany to capture the perfect poem. But the reality is what Allende is saying here. Great writing, for me, comes from a daily practice, so that the act of writing is sewn into my time, my thinking, my heart, and how I interact with the world on a regular basis. The muse is not so much something that I wait for as something I chase and constantly try to woo.
As a bonus, if you want to stretch your brain as a fiction writer, check out David Ogilvy's 10 tips on writing for ads and business, including gems like, "Never write more than 2 pages on any subject..."
What is your favorite advice on writing?
Image sources: SteveR- and Ben Sutherland via flickr
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