Happy Monday, everyone! Here’s to another hectic week. Today I want to talk about something which I think that all writers–authors, poets, essayists, journalists, etc.–can relate to: deciding what writing advice to follow.
A very common procrastination technique for writers is to search for advice on writing. I know I do it. I mean, hey, there are less productive forms of procrastination, right? It’s better than spending all day on Facebook or playing solitaire. Of course, if you spend too much time doing this, you’ll lose all your writing time. However, there is another–equally prohibiting–problem which results from searching for writing advice: you follow it too closely.
How can you follow writing advice too closely, you might ask. Surely it is posted online and published in books so that people can follow it, and how can you go wrong when the advice comes from a famous writer? While famous writers are genuinely trying to help others (or make some easy money) by giving them guidelines or rules to follow, there’s just one problem with their generosity: they are telling you how to write like them, not like you.
I encountered the matter recently on a post published five years ago on the blog Published to Death. In it, the blogger explains some of the flaws with the advice Stephen King gives in his book, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft and how it is flawed. She also explains that following King’s “rules” will make your writing sound like, well, King’s writing. But, as this article points out, do you really want that?
I cannot personally attest to how King presents his advice on writing. Truthfully, I’ve never read it. However, I do know that many writers, while trying to express what works for them, make it sound as though their way to write is the only right way. Needless to say, that is wrong, but often novice–and even experienced–writers try and follow their word as though it’s gospel.
The aforementioned blog post points out a key reason as to why you should not heed even famous writers’ advice this closely: no one can teach talent. Famous authors, poets, essayists, etc. write intuitively. They just know what works and what doesn’t and, when faced with negative feedback, they can usually figure out a suitable fix. This comes from a natural talent that has been nurtured and built upon for years. They have learned what hits a harmonious note with their writing style and talents, and they use this knowledge to their advantage. Unfortunately, that is not something you can teach someone else in 100-200 pages or in a semester-long class.
Does that mean that only the anointed few can become successful writers? Of course not! Anyone can learn and work to improve their writing skills and cultivate their unique voice. You just can’t expect that by following a famous writer’s advice that you’ll magically become a critically-acclaimed and/or bestselling author.
It is a good idea to listen to and learn from a more experienced colleague’s advice. Still, you need to remember that your writing must be your writing in your voice. Collect all the wisdom you can and then customize it. Find out what works for you, what doesn’t, and use your new tools accordingly. No one understands your style better than you do, so only you can decide how you should write.
Do you read advice on writing? Or do you avoid it? If you do read it, how do you choose which advice to follow and which to ignore? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011