For Writers

“The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it.”
J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

Looking to become a writer yourself? Here are some tips, tricks and things to consider.

Top 5 Craft Books I Recommend

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody
Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel by Lisa Cron
The Scene Book: A Primer for Fiction Writers by Sandra Scofield
Art and Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by David Bayles and Ted Orland
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott

Books: I’m guessing you want to write cuz you love to read. So keep it up! Figure out what you like about your fave books, what they do well and why.

Something to Write With: Wait, writers need to WRITE?! Yes, lucky duck. I mean, I wish the DESIRE to craft a genius, brain-expanding novel would make it so, but I’ve had no luck there. So, jump in and try imitating some of those fave books you’ve been studying.

Trust in YOU: Write the things that come to you. Even if they freak you out. Or intimidate you. Or incriminate you. Or make you think, “Wow, I suck at this.” Let your imagination run wild and unearth what’s in that brilliant brain of yours. Because you also might find yourself thinking, “Huh. Well, THAT’S cool.” And because, Delete is a beautiful button.

A Schedule: If I don’t purchase a serious supply of bum-glue at the start of any book I write–and decide WHEN I will slather it on my writing chair–it ain’t happening. (Though, there have been those years where looking at the bum-glue bottle made me want to curl into the fetal position and wail, so, you know, be compassionate with your bum.) But, whether it’s writing on a train to work, in the lull while a little one sleeps, during a free period at school, or in the dark of night when no one (including you) can count how many Oreos you’re consuming, writing habits will pay you back in word counts. Worth it.

Tenacity: Practice, practice, practicey-practice. Did I mention practice? Because, hello. PRACTICE! Just like that champion-hot-dog-eater couldn’t have downed 76.5 Wienerschnitzels without prepping their stomach to not-hurl, developing one’s style, voice and craft don’t come without training. You have to grab onto this dream and hold tight if you want it to last longer than a few moments of hopeful, bestseller, movie-deal intoxication. (Though, no shame–that’s super fun, too.

Love: Love the WRITING. Love the peeps you write for. Love the peeps you write about. And the better you love and embrace the human YOU are, the more unique and personal your work will become. So put lovin’ in the oven and it’ll bake up somethin’ sweet. (Yes, all teens everywhere are currently dying of shame to know that line is on the internet.)

Resilience : Rejection, people. It’s a thing! A very horrible, unwelcome and obnoxious thing that is both just part of the game and can be wildly helpful. (But still horrible.) It’s a very real thing for published and unpublished writers alike. So, when it rears its crappity head, throw that tantrum, bust out that ugly-cry, and, in my case, bake that gory, red velvet, Hunger-Games-themed cake, and then, *sigh,* get back into that writing chair. Annoyingly, rejection has pushed my work to higher levels (grumble) than it might’ve attained (grunt) had it been picked up more quickly (growl). So, yay, rejection! And vomit.

Faith, Hope, Trust and Pixie Dust: Tinkerbell knows what’s up. To fly the writer’s flight, you must put in all the work, think all the happy thoughts (about yourself and your bookish future), and a douse yourself with a serious dose of magical timing and good luck. Oh, right–those two last ones you can’t control. So, don’t be TOO discouraged if they feel elusive. Trust that your time to visit Neverland will come! (Did this turn into self-coaching? Yes, yes it did…) Bottom line? YOU’VE GOT THIS!