THOUGHTS ON WRITING ADVICE

I thought I might share my thoughts on the enomous amount of writing advice people can find on social media platforms and sites like Reddit. There is a tremendous amount of advice out there, but a lot of it is bad advice. I think the vast majority of it is total rubbish. Much of it is from people who have never been a published author in their life. A lot of it is well intentioned (I would hope) but good intentions doesn’t equal good advice. The advice I see isn’t all bad. I do agree with some of it. But a disagree with a lot more. There is too much out there to mention all of it, so I’ll list some of it and explain why I disagree with it.

1) Treating “show, don’t tell” as a Strict Rule

While show, don’t tell is a good idea, there are times when telling works better than showing. It is best to have a mix. A mix of the two is usually the best for things like pacing and story flow. It will also be more engaging.

2) Avoiding all Tropes

It is virtually impossible to avoid tropes altogether. Avoid cliches, yes, because cliches are tropes used badly, or in a way that has been done too many times before; a thinly veiled idea that is obviously a rip-off of something that came before in such a familiar way that it becomes cliche. But avoiding tropes? Nope, it literally can’t be done. Writers draw inspiration from others sources. It’s what we DO with that inspiration that matters. Take the idea and reimagine it. Make it different. Make it yours. Do it in a way that that hasn’t been done the same way over and over again. The truth is: many people confuse a trope with a cliche. Or they think they are the same. They are not. They are different.

Example: Writing a tragic or “forbidden” love story? It’s a trope. But it doesn’t have to be a cliche. It’s how you choose to go about it.

Example: Writing a story about a “chosen one” who doesn’t want to be the chosen one? It’s a trope.

Example: Writing a story about “enemies to lovers?” It’s a trope.

Example: The “grumpy and sunshine” dynamic ( an optimist is paired with a pesssimist) Gues what: It’s a trope.

The trope isn’t the problem: How a writer uses it CAN be. Reinvent it. Make it yours. Put your stamp on it.

3) Punishing Competent Characters

Some suggest that the writer should have a character with a skill have that skill taken away.

Example: Having a skilled guitarist lose the use of their hands. I guess so the reader can experience the anguish and pain the charcter feels? I have no idea why someone would recommend such terrible advice.

4) Banning Basic Grammar Tools

Some advise refraining from adjectives, adverbs, and certain punctuations, such as the exclamation mark. I disagree. Used moderately, these things are perfectly fine. The key is to not OVERUSE them.

5) Enforcing Rigid Chapter Word Counts

Of all the things I saw, this is by far the dumbest piece of advice I have ever heard someone tell a writer. A chapter takes as many words as it takes. Chapters will naturally be of varying lengths. Do not follow that advice!

5) Write What You Know

I would counter that with: Write what motivates you. What are you passionate about? You can always research the subject matter as you plan your story. Imagine speculative fiction, or fantasy. It’s pure imagination. Write what you know? #5 is another piece of bad advice.

6) You Must Write Every Day

No, you don’t. I don’t. Unless you’re a well-known author who is wealthy enough to not have to worry about money, you probably have a job that pays the bills while you toil away at the keyboard. Some writers have families, or have other responsibilities besides writing. Some days you will be sick, or you didn’t sleep well last night, or maybe you just need a break. I don’t write on a fixed schedule. Although, I do try to keep the hours about the same. I also try to write at least three days in a given week. Four is the average. That works for me. Find what works for you.

These are just six bad writing advice ideas I totally disagree with. I could go on and on. I cannot believe the sheer amount of absolutely terrible writing advice there is out there. I recommend taking any kind of advice you see online with a grain of salt. Many of these people, like I said, are people no one has ever even heard of. I would say most have never published, or even written, anything in their entire life. So, what makes them an expert on writing advice? If you have the inclination, the desire, and the drive to be a writer, that’s a good starting point. Taking a creative writing classs can help, but is not necessary. Being an avid reader will definitely help, because that’s where you can learn the most. Write at your own pace, write about things you’re passionate about, and practice, practice, practice. If you have what it takes, you will get there. That is my advice to you.

One thought on writing classes:

Laurell K. Hamilton was once told by a writing teacher that she didn’t have what it took to be a successful author. True story.

Laurell K. Hamilton. Look her up. I guess she proved that teacher wrong.

Thank you for reading. Happy writing. Until next time…

Ray Rogers