One of the most important things about writing is figuring out how to write. This may sound obvious. Of course you have to figure out how to write, you're not just a Shakespeare the moment you start. Writing is like anything: it takes practice.
What I mean is that you have to figure out how you write. There could be a million posts talking about 'putting time aside to write every day' or 'mapping your story out before you even start', but they're useless if they don't resonate with you.
For example, being a 'pantser' versus a 'planner'. In writing, a pantser is a person who doesn't need to plan their novel out at all. They just start writing until they come out the other side with a fully fledged novel. A planner is someone who maps out the plot in detail before it happens. (This is actually a bit more of a spectrum, as some people plan out the big plot points but then leave everything else to interpretation.)
For years I thought that I was a pantser. I would start writing with just an idea, and then get stuck in the middle and give up. (This should have been a dead giveaway that I was not a pantser, but I digress.) Then I planned out a novel, and for the first time, was able to finish it. This only happened in the last couple of years! I've been writing for more than half of my life, and have only just figured out that I need to write stuff down beforehand!
Wack.
My point is, it took me years to figure out how I write. You're going to be figuring out new things about your writing process more and more as the years pass, and that's good. That's called growth.
If anyone is curious:
1. I am a planner/pantser hybrid. I love to do detailed world building, but struggle with writing down the plot. I tend to be pretty vague with the planning though, simply because I do like to have the freedom to change things if I want to.
2. I don't have a writing habit so much as a writing feeling. If I don't feel like writing, I don't force myself to write. This is especially important, because if you try to force yourself to write when you don't want to, you're only going to feel miserable, which translates into your emotions toward writing. Be kind to yourself and your writing will improve.
3. If I want to write something with a specific vibe, I'll read a piece by another author with the atmosphere that I want to copy. I find that if I write right after I've finished another author's work, my own writing will tonally reflect what I've just read.
- Gracia
What I mean is that you have to figure out how you write. There could be a million posts talking about 'putting time aside to write every day' or 'mapping your story out before you even start', but they're useless if they don't resonate with you.
For example, being a 'pantser' versus a 'planner'. In writing, a pantser is a person who doesn't need to plan their novel out at all. They just start writing until they come out the other side with a fully fledged novel. A planner is someone who maps out the plot in detail before it happens. (This is actually a bit more of a spectrum, as some people plan out the big plot points but then leave everything else to interpretation.)
For years I thought that I was a pantser. I would start writing with just an idea, and then get stuck in the middle and give up. (This should have been a dead giveaway that I was not a pantser, but I digress.) Then I planned out a novel, and for the first time, was able to finish it. This only happened in the last couple of years! I've been writing for more than half of my life, and have only just figured out that I need to write stuff down beforehand!
Wack.
My point is, it took me years to figure out how I write. You're going to be figuring out new things about your writing process more and more as the years pass, and that's good. That's called growth.
If anyone is curious:
1. I am a planner/pantser hybrid. I love to do detailed world building, but struggle with writing down the plot. I tend to be pretty vague with the planning though, simply because I do like to have the freedom to change things if I want to.
2. I don't have a writing habit so much as a writing feeling. If I don't feel like writing, I don't force myself to write. This is especially important, because if you try to force yourself to write when you don't want to, you're only going to feel miserable, which translates into your emotions toward writing. Be kind to yourself and your writing will improve.
3. If I want to write something with a specific vibe, I'll read a piece by another author with the atmosphere that I want to copy. I find that if I write right after I've finished another author's work, my own writing will tonally reflect what I've just read.
- Gracia
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