1. Why write today, when there is always tomorrow?
Procrastination is a great way to become an unsuccessful writer. If you postpone what should be written today, nothing will ever be written.
Any successful writer (to me “successful” means getting paid to write) sits down to write every day. * Stephen King says that he sets his daily writing goal by the number of words he writes, not by the time he spends sitting in front of his computer. Good advice, don’t you agree?
2. Brainstorm for hours, days, weeks or more
Go back to habit number 1. Yes, brainstorming for too long can be considered a form of procrastination and a good writer always gives their concoction time to percolate, but too much of a good thing can become cloudy and lose its original flavor. in feces. A successful writer learns when to say “I think I have enough good ideas for now.”
3. Write for yourself and not connect with an audience
Most unsuccessful writers write in their own heads. They expect the reader to know all the inside jokes and understand the references that are not universally known. There are many different types, styles, and genres of writing and if you want to be a good writer, know who you’re working for. It’s that easy. Would you write an erotic novel for an inspiring group of women?
4. Never edit the first draft
A failed writer will never edit his first draft. Why? Because it’s already perfect. Call it pride, arrogance, naivete, whatever you want. Please understand this, the best authors in the world review their work, usually more than once. They then have a line edit editor for grammatical errors. Before the work is submitted for publication, it receives a final review. Can you master, say, the art of making Sushi on the first try?
5. Review, edit, review and repeat
We’ve all seen great stories get convoluted and morph into something very different from what they were intended to be, all due to the syndrome of revise, edit, revise and repeat. This is not to be confused with habit number 4, never edit your first draft. Here, too much of a good thing goes wrong. With an excessive amount of proofreading and editing, your story will stray from its home and get lost in a bunch of inappropriate exposures.
6. Combine negative self-talk with excessive worry
Even the most seasoned professional writer can fall into the “I’m not worthy” mode of operation and therefore think they have nothing to write. The question for me is “I lack the talent of a great writer.” I know it’s not true because everyone is enjoying this article. Correct? Of course you are.
Remember, a failed writer will listen to his inner demon and believe every word he hisses. Choose to listen to you angel; the one that sings to you even in your worst moment. She will inspire you to give your best.
7. Take other people’s opinion of your work seriously
When you’ve completed a piece of writing, don’t give it to anyone and say, “Let me know what you think.” If you do, you may not get the feedback you’re looking for. Before letting people read your work, let them know what you want from their review. Otherwise, anything goes. Don’t be surprised if they begin to change your carefully chosen words. You don’t need to hear that someone hates your main character, you need to know why and choose your audience carefully. A good writer wouldn’t give his best friend an article titled “Why best friends are a pain in the ass.”
* Stephen King – On writing. Published in September 2001