“Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.”
E.L Doctorow
“Whether or not you write well, write bravely”
Bill Stout
“Writing is the hardest way of earning a living, with the possible exception of wrestling alligators.”
Olin Miller
I usually don’t write much about writing. I usually refer guest posters with articles about blogging or writing to submit them to blogs like Problogger or Daily Blog Tips instead. But today I felt like mixing things up a bit and bringing in some variation.
So here are five timeless tips on writing. I suppose this article could be useful if you are a blogger but also if you’re a writer of some other kind. Perhaps one with an unfinished novel still waiting in the drawer.
1. It won’t always be easy.
“Every writer I know has trouble writing.”
Joseph Heller
“Inspiration is wonderful when it happens, but the writer must develop an approach for the rest of the time… The wait is simply too long.”
Leonard Bernstein
When I started writing articles about music and film in Swedish quite a few years ago I used to wait for inspiration to come. I did the same thing when I first started blogging. I don’t do that anymore.
Inspiration can show up on its own, waltzing in through a door or a window. But doing things that way makes work inconsistent – both in quality and quantity - and you spend a lot of time waiting.
It’s often better to just start working. For the first minutes what you do may suck quite a bit and it’s hard going. But after a while inspiration seems to catch up with you. Things start to flow easier and your work is of a higher quality.
So don’t limit yourself to the moments where you feel inspired or you feel like the moment is just right to do something. Act instead. A lot of the time you can find inspiration along the way.
2. Remove.
“Even the best writer has to erase”
Spanish Proverb
“I try to leave out the parts that people skip.”
Elmore Leonard
“When you wish to instruct, be brief; that men’s minds take in quickly what you say, learn its lesson, and retain it faithfully. Every word that is unnecessary only pours over the side of a brimming mind.”
Cicero
Not much to add here. Get to the point quickly and you’ll have a better chance of getting through to the one you writing to. Just like when you are talking to someone in real life.
3. Be wholly alive and be present.
“The most solid advice for a writer is this, I think: Try to learn to breathe deeply, really to taste food when you eat, and when you sleep really to sleep. Try as much as possible to be wholly alive with all your might, and when you laugh, laugh like hell. And when you get angry, get good and angry. Try to be alive. You will be dead soon enough”
William Saroyan
Be present and alive with whatever you do. Focus on what’s in front of you. This is not an easy habit to cultivate.
But I have found that over time you can learn to spend more and more time in the now.
In this space your writing will be easier and you may be surprised at how wonderful some of the things that flow out of you are. Again, this is useful in conversations too.
When you start to think too much you are going down a slippery slope. Your communication becomes overly complicated, unclear and with less emotional power behind it.
4. Write, write, write.
“If you would be a reader, read; if a writer, write”
Epictetus
Good old Epictetus. Always gets to the point quickly. Just like when playing tennis you need to put in the hours. Maybe not the easy answer one wants to hear. But massive amounts of practise tend to sharpen your skill considerably in just about any field. For more tips from Epictetus have a look at Epictetus’ Top 7 Timeless Pearls of Wisdom.
5. Focus on your truth.
“Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.”
C.S Lewis
When you write I think it’s better to focus less on being original and more on expressing what you feel is the truth. What you feel has some truth to it often has truth to a lot of other people too. Because we are all pretty much the same. And the truth tends to get through to people. When you read something that tells the truth you can feel it in your body and in how it resonates with your emotions and thoughts.
This is not easy though. And the people that do it a lot often have a lot of courage. But I think it’s something to strive for.
Few things under the sun are new. Things often just seem new to someone because that person hasn’t heard about them before. But most of the time some guy talked about it many hundreds or thousands of years ago. In personal development, loads of people borrow from people like Buddha. And he probably borrowed stuff from some guy no-one can remember anymore.
I’m not saying that people do not add new things and parts of themselves when they express truths that have been said over and over throughout the ages. I’m just saying that you shouldn’t get too hung up on being original because a big part of human interaction and communication is being able to really connect, relate to and understand each other in some way. And you can do that by telling your truth.
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Thank you for the helpful post. I’m continuously disappointed with my writing. For now I will write, write, write.
the William Saroyan quote really helps and inspires me. : D
This is the approach I have always taken in my writing. When I was getting bad grades on my papers in school I would just write more papers. I suddenly defeated writer’s block and began to write all the time! Thanks to my push through the pain of writing, erasing, and making a final draft I became a better writer than ever!
For years, I put off writing anything except diaries, poems, and a few short stories. I hated everything else I wrote that was longer than just a few pages. It seemed everything started out great, then quickly fizzled out into mediocrity. Or, they all seemed to be about the same topic, which I thought was proof that I could never be a “real” writer. Then, I read Henry Miller’s Tropic of Capricorn. What a revelation that was! Not only did he meander all over the place with his words and ideas — I later learned that this was his second published book, which happened to cover almost exactly the same subject matter in his first published book, Tropic of Cancer!
If I remember correctly, Miller was plagued with self-doubt about whether his writing was good enough for print until he finally just went for it and let his words just flow out of him in a great big, beautiful mess in Cancer. Then, after he’d written that, he was able to more calmly write the same book in a more comprehensible version; hence, Capricorn.
Now when I write anything, I remember Stephen King’s quote: “Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.”
So, John, keep on writing! Thanks, Henrik, for a great post!
I’ve definitely noticed that the more I’m writing the better I’m getting at it, even if I’m not at the stage that i would like!
Circumstances made me feel I got out of touch with my life. Making irrational decisions and ending up at home, a copywriter struggling to earn a living. The funny thing is I had an extremely well paid job. As a copywriter. But somehow I lost my inspiration. Not in my job. Writing went well there. But at home. Poetry, songs, short stories… they seemed to stop coming to me. So now I’m rebooting. And it’s really scary. I still believe that someday I’m going to make ‘everyone’ smile. Writing is going to help me do that. I’ve always loved it and combined with my love for people and the little things in life I really hope to be back on my writers feet soon. The first inspired text have already introduced themselves to me. I’m very greatfull for that. This blog affirmes my belief that al I need to do to get it right is write, write, write!
Thank you Henrik for once again supplying encouragement to pursue a tough course and supporting the encouragement with quotes from people who’ve been there and back.
I appreciate your efforts and find your site consistently inspiring.
Not only is this helpful for writers but life in general! You could pretty much substitute ‘writing’ or ‘working’ for ‘living’ and it would make perfect sense.
The part that particularly struck a chord with me was the following:
It’s often better to just start (living). For the first minutes what you do may suck quite a bit and it’s hard going. But after a while inspiration seems to catch up with you. Things start to flow easier and your (life)is of a higher quality.
Thanks, you’ve helped me re-focus my attention
)
Well I have just begun my own blog at digitaldesigndiary.com and it is actually very hard sometimes to just get started writing! Even on a topic which I love so much as web design and graphic art. Part of my problem is I have so many ideas… I can’t choose which one to write about. But I’ve had people tell me I am a good writer so I figure I will give it a shot. Anyway thanks for the tips!
That’s what always seems to work best for me. Get as much down as you can and then sort back through it tomorrow morning.
Smart tips!
I recently began a writing project that I was very wary of. The subject matter was new to me so I researched what was done on it before and how I could add to the information already out there. It is hard to be original and the CS Lewis quote is very inspiring. Thanks for that.
Rick
Wow, thats a major injection of inspiration. You’ve just perked up my creative energies. They seem to spend alot of time sleeping, but I know they’re there. I’ve never read your blog before. A friend emailed me the link and I just wanted to let you know how much it connected to me. Truth is always the key. My best writing is always my most honest writing. I think you have to feel it to write it. I just wish I could stay in the moment for longer. After reading you blog it has inspired me to work harder for it.
Thanks
as a journalist, i think this article says it all - being hardworking to report all truths, and loving every minute of life. great article.
I’ve started chaining myself to my writing chair which is chained to my writing desk using a two-hour timer lock. I leave the random unlock code in an unreachable drawer on the other side of the room, leave the back door unlocked where the pizza guy comes and then make an order (pepperoni & green peppers)(to be delivered at the end of the two hours)as a fall-back measure. If the lock fails to open I yell out the window to Mr. delivery man to come in and help me escape from my bonds. At the end of my writing session I’m usually in the mood for pizza whether I’ve written anything of consequence or not. I’m happy with the results as long as I remember to use the bathroom before sitting down to write. (note: this motivational tool may not work for everyone)
I love it! Great inspirational quotes as well, especially this one: “I try to leave out the parts that people skip.” It’s really cool that this writer recognizes this. It’s like bands that strive to create a “no filler” album. It shows how much they care about their work, to put in the extra effort, beyond what most will be willing to do. I guess that is why they are famous and being quoted… and most writers are not.
Fine tips, all of them. Number two deserves a bit more attention. A good bit of advice is to write a first draught, then edit to a second, at least thirty percent shorter: maybe it’s impossible but a better version will turn up along the way!
Thank you, a good post. Peter
I did like it, and I did give it a thumbs up. I love that quote from Leonard. It’s so true. His ten tips on writing are ten of my favorites. I just started writing about a year ago, but I feel like I’m only now breathing. Thanks for a great overall site. I’ll see you soon.
Just read some of these bloggs……thanks it has inspired me even more. Also discovering a few little home secrets…I now have more fuel for my burning desire to beome an accomplishment writer..