WRITING TIPS | LEARNING FROM THE BIG NAMES
Want to Be a Successful Writer? Do These
Easy steps you can follow right now.
If you dive into the stories behind the big names out there, you’ll see a vast arc of opinions and methods of storytelling.
But despite their differences, successful writers have common ground: similar ways that made them the people they are today.
Here are the top six.
Setting Goals
Did you know Stephen King has a goal of writing 2000 words a day? It’s part of his daily routine. Each morning he takes a walk, then sits down and writes 2000 words.
Does that mean you have to write 2000 words a day?
In short — no.
Setting goals helps you stay focused, but it can also be draining. Not all of us have the time to write 2000 words a day, because most writers have second jobs. Setting an impossible goal not only is doomed to failure, it’ll be discouraging.
When you set a goal, make sure it’s challenging yet doable. Consider your schedule, the genre of your content, and your long term goals. And once you achieve your goal, take the time to enjoy it. Then dive into the next one on your list.
Setting Boundaries
Writers are artists, so we all tend to lose ourselves when creativity strikes. Skipping meals, staying awake late, or neglecting our loved ones, we can all forget the outside world once we plunge into creating.
That’s why setting boundaries is crucial.
I once read an interview with a debut author who said that not only does she not write every day, but her weekends are also reserved for spending time with her family.
That is her key ingredient for success: balancing between writing and family. It should be yours, too.
You can’t write if you don’t sleep well, eat properly, or let your body stretch every now and then from bending over the keyboard. You can’t write well if your loved ones feel neglected.
Set boundaries. Find balance between writing and maintaining a normal life. There’s no point in entering a new world if your body is fatigued. There’s no point in starting a journey if the people you love will stay behind.
Using Spare Time
When is the best time for coming up with something new? When do spectacular ideas strike you?
For me, it’s whenever I’m doing something that lets my mind wander. Cooking, working out, driving, and even brushing my teeth — when my mind is resting, it’s actually working overtime.
In his filmed Creative Writing class on YouTube, Brandon Sanderson laughs about a friend being late for their meeting. Laughter aside, it was the best time in Sanderson’s day to come up with ideas for his books.
If you want to maximize your productivity, start using spare time. We all have it, and yet let it go to waste.
While you’re on the subway, out on a walk with your dog or waiting in line — let your mind stroll. Who knows what incredible ideas will come to you then.
Planning Ahead
The ultimate battle inside the writing community is between plotters and pansters. Writers who outline to the fullest versus writers who let the story carry them wherever it leads.
J. K. Rowling is a plotter. Margaret Atwood, on the other hand, is a panster. Does that mean you have to be a plotter or a panster to succeed?
Neither. Instead — be a plotter of your environment.
Whether they are plotters or pansters, successful writers have their own writing routine. Routine keeps you focused and helps you achieve your goals. It gives you organization and structure. It’s a mold in which you can cast your creativity.
If you want to maximize your success, plan ahead your schedule. Think of your long term goals and the ways to achieve them. Build a writing and publishing plan. Don’t leave your writing time to chance.
Breaking The Rules
There are plenty of rules in the writing world. You can’t use everyday words because it’ll make you look amateurish. You can’t use too many words or adverbs because less is more. You can’t tell, either. You have to show.
The beauty of successful writers — they dare. They break the rules even before they become successful. In fact — they make their own rules.
Take Cressida Cowell for example. Cowell is the author of the incredible MG book How to Train Your Dragon that has been adapted to a TV series and several films by DreamWorks. Spoiler alert — they’ve all turned into a worldwide phenomenon.
Instead of giving us another MG book about a boy coming of age by killing dragons, Cowell switches the narrative. In her Viking world, dragons may start as enemies, but end up as the villagers’ best friends thanks to the protagonist.
The bottom line — don’t let rules and trends dedicate your writing. Bend the rules and find out what revolutionary ideas come out of it. Or better yet — make up your own rules.
Rising Up
Back when I was working on my first novel I thought publishing it would be a piece of cake. I needed to get a few (many) rejections to find out the truth.
Suzanne Collins, the author of The Hunger Games, got 59 rejections before she got the blessed YES. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig was rejected 121 times before it got published. These two are just a fraction of the rejection ocean you’ll have to cross.
If successful writers manage to rise up over hundreds of rejections and self doubts, so can you. Rejection pushed them to their full potential. It made them surpass mediocrity.
Not every story of yours is going to succeed. Some posts are going to get few views or none at all. Some days your creativity is going to fly out of the window.
Whatever low point you are facing, don’t let it discourage you. Success comes to those who know how to rise up by celebrating the little wins.
Did you finish writing a post or novel? Did you make someone feel with your story? Did you solve a plot hole that had been bothering you for weeks? Did you come up with a new idea?
These are your little wins. Cherish them, celebrate them, and recharge. Success isn’t going to come one day. It’s already here in the small details.
Is there another habit of successful writers that jumps into your head? I’d love to know in a comment!
Thank you for reading!
