My current medical situation has given me a lot of time to think. Unsurprisingly, one of the things I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about is writing. I have come up with what I am thinking of as five lessons to make writing fiction work:
1. Read fiction
It seems like the most obvious thing in the world but it’s easy to get slack at it. I used to read a lot more than I do now but if I want to write well, then I have to read well.
2. Read about writing
Another obvious one but it has been a long time since I read a book about writing. I think it’s important to keep learning about the craft and it keeps me in the right mindset. So I am making an effort to read more writing books.
3. Take it seriously
Since I went back to work, and probably even before that, I have been in the habit of speaking dismissively about my writing. On more than a few occasions I have referred to it as my “hobby” or “something I do just for fun”. Which on a practical level might be true, but it also isn’t. I write for more than just to pass the time. I write because I feel like I’m called to do it and it’s the only way I know to truly express myself.
Talking about writing like it’s not important makes it harder for me to treat it like it’s important. It makes it more difficult to justify waking up early every morning and get the words down. So from now on I am going to take it seriously: whether or not I ever make big bucks from writing it is important to me.
4. Reduce distractions
There are a million things easier to do than sit down and write. But that’s not the most difficult thing to deal with. Writing is an activity that I sit down and do and then tick it off my list for the day. What is much harder to deal with is filling every moment of the day with activities.
I can write, I have proven that, but I also need time to think. Time when I’m not browsing the internet or listening to podcasts or music. Time when I’m not even reading. It’s far too easy to fill up every moment of the day with content and I can’t afford to keep doing that.
5. Have fun
Most important and the easiest to forget: writing is fun. I love it. But sometimes I need to remind myself to enjoy it and that means doing some of the extra stuff that doesn’t really count as writing but contributes to the fun of it. The added extras like making logos for upcoming books and stuff like that.
So those are my lessons. There may be more to add in the future, but I think I’m going to get a lot of benefit from learning these ones.
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Latest release: Sisterhood
Currently Writing:
- The Storm: a cozy apocalypse short story. Today’s progress: 1,076w / 3,793w
- The List: a dark fantasy novella. PLANNING
- The Last Outpost: a science-fiction short story about a human colony on a moon of Jupiter. EDITING