“To me, the greatest pleasure of writing is not what it’s about, but the inner music that words make.” — Truman Capote
Ask any writer, no matter what the purpose of their craft is, what the most intimidating thing is and you’ll get one answer: the blank page. That ticking, blinking cursor just waiting for you to start pushing buttons and jumble about the alphabet enough to produce something…hopefully good, at least. The expectation to create greatness from absolutely nothing is quite paralyzing at times. Especially when you have a deadline looming over your head. Consider this Insight #1 on the crafting of words.
Insight #2 is that there are no rules. Oh sure, you can take all the creative writing classes you want and they’ll tell you that there are steadfast guidelines on which you need to follow — but the fact of the matter is that unless you’re in journalism or any other paid format writing business, there aren’t any concrete commandments on how you go about it.
I have three perfect examples for this: Finnegans Wake by James Joyce, the children’s books of Dr. Seuss, and the collective works of both Hunter S. Thompson and Kurt Vonnegut. Finnegans Wake was, according to Wikipedia: “significant for its experimental style and reputation as one of the most difficult works of fiction in the English language…The entire book is written in a largely idiosyncratic language, consisting of a mixture of standard English lexical items and neologistic multilingual puns and portmanteau words, which many critics believe were attempts to recreate the experience of sleep and dreams.” Dr. Seuss took the format of children’s books, filled them with rhymes that they would love and would remember for years to come, and then use the format to teach children about racism, environmental issues, and other topics that we would assume would be far over a child’s head. And, let’s be honest, the collective works of both Hunter S. Thompson and Kurt Vonnegut are, for lack of a better term, hallucinogenic. Exhibit A: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Slaughterhouse 5.
So stop worrying about breaking some all-binding literary decree and start making art. It’s as simple as that.
Insight #3. There are far too few honest writers out there. Anyone can write a book. At times, it feels like everyone but me is writing a book. But how many tomes sitting on shelves in both book shops and inside homes were written to serve the sole purpose of making both the author and publisher some money? How many books out there actually SAY something? Ask yourself this as you’re browsing through the library or book store: How many of these were published because they fulfilled a genuine purpose?
Insight #4. Don’t try to get into a writer’s head or try and figure them out. Period. Most of the time even we don’t know what our thought process is. The best quote for this was by Victor Hugo: “A writer is a world trapped in a person.”
Insight #5. Your favorite writer, whoever it may be, is probably screwed up in the head somehow. Wikipedia has an article on writers who have committed suicide and the list is quite lenghty (at least 200). Also lengthy is another article on Thought Catalog listing writers who were alcoholic (99). May others were addicted to other substances — I learned this morning that Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde once wrote 60,000 words in six days while on cocaine.
But the number one thing all writers are addicted to: Writing. There’s a genuine need for it and life is unfulfilling if we go too long without writing.
Insight #6. Writers love words. Love them. The way they sound, the way they look, the way they perfectly describe something and give it meaning. When I was in high school, I would randomly start reading the dictionary. Before I start any sort of piece, I have a separate tab for the thesaurus website open. I have fallen in love with how something is phrased— many times. I’ll even jot them down so I can read it again later.
The other thing that we love is writing instruments — particularly pens. The way they look is important; but also the sounds that they make when scratching on paper. Weight is crucial to a good pen. If it’s too heavy, it creates hand fatigue. It also (and this may sound stupid, but it’s important) must be portable. If a pen is too large, it will be set down and promptly forgotten somewhere. And whoever came up with the concept of tiny pens and pencils was clearly not right in the head.
Insight #7. The true keys to being a phenomenal writer are actually quite simple: Read good writers. Your writing will start to mimic them, so focus on someone who is truly talented. Write a lot. Daily, if possible. The more you practice the craft, the more you’re able to perfect it. In fact, you don’t even need to focus on one project. Sometimes all you need to do is throw words on a page and walk away. Sometimes, many times, that’s all you’ll be able to accomplish, any way. Especially if you are going through a bout of writer’s block. And lastly, don’t give up. As with all aspects in life, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. You will fail. You will write utter crap. You will get shot down by many publishers. But giving up isn’t an option. No matter what that little voice in your head and the doubters outside it try and convince you.
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