Big Ups: Creative writing
“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” — Ernest Hemingway
On my whirlwind trip to Chicago last week, speaking with several people I consider to be extraordinarily talented and creative, I picked up on this recurring theme: Writing is hard. While some people make it look easy, there is a lot of mystique and misdirection, like Hemingway’s quote above, when it comes to the science.
I’ve been wrestling with this craft for most of my life, and I mean this in an encouraging way: The words don’t write themselves. In response to this email, I hope you will share feedback and your ideas on what helps you write. Below you will find some of my favorite and most helpful references.
Tim Grahl authored the seminal book “Your First 1000 Copies,” and he is now the CEO and Publisher of Story Grid. Luckily for us all, he has published a video where he shows us the ironclad three-step process to mastering the complex skill of creative, narrative writing. The steps?
- Break it down into individual micro skills
- Deliberate practice
- Get feedback
If you and I have ever discussed writing, I’m sure I asked you about your familiarity with Julia Cameron and her groundbreaking book, “The Artist’s Way.” If this is new to you, now you…
