Ink & Bytes
Ink & Bytes
Episode Five - Cultivating a Writer's Steady March to Success
Forget about setting daily word count goals; instead, let's talk about the liberating power of simply showing up to write. Every writer's journey is unique, and this episode is dedicated to those who find strength in the quiet consistency of the craft. I peel back the layers of writing habits that foster true productivity and dismantle the misconceptions that can hinder creativity. Amid the conversation, I celebrate the immense benefits of immersing oneself in a writing community, where the exchange of support and constructive feedback can be transformative. Plus, I’ll share a nod to the '20 mile march' principle, revealing how steady progress can outpace bursts of brilliance in achieving our most ambitious goals.
Navigating the writer's life requires a sturdy helm, and this episode steers through the intricacies of balancing discipline with inspiration, drawing on insights from leadership speaker Jocko Willink. I also dive into the drafting techniques that can help shape a raw narrative into a polished gem, inspired by science fiction maestro Pierce Brown's writing process. The art of writing freely and with passion takes center stage, as I encourage fellow scribes to trust their instincts and make their mark without yielding to external pressures. Your unique voice has a place in this world, and this episode is a testament to that truth. Join me for a heartfelt homage to the resilience that fuels the writer's soul and the passion that ignites the pen.
So as a writer, you quite often come across some really fantastic writing advice and some not so stellar writing advice, but it's not only contained to writing. For every career, hobby, activity or interest you might have, you've probably came across some really good words of wisdom and some really bad ones too. Maybe you were having a few days of disparity and you needed a motivation boost and it just either worked out or didn't. But for writing, this is interesting. What I've noticed personally that when I was going through my education to get my degree, a lot of the bad writing advice that I encountered actually came from college. In those classes that I had to take to become a creative writer and get my degree, a lot of the books we read were just outdated and didn't really account for modern times and genre fiction nowadays and just pretty much any other genre out there. It was rough and I've seen a lot of people taking to it like moths through a flame and it just wasn't good stuff to be iterating on. So in this episode of Ink and Bites, we're going to go through some of the best writing advice that I personally bumped into and subscribe to and think it's pretty good. We're also going to go through some of the bad advice that you should avoid. So welcome back. I'm glad to have you here. Let's get into it.
Speaker 1:First and foremost, one piece of writing advice that I think is paramount and I always tell people that ask me and I'll always bring it up in conversation, if I just overhear it is keep showing up. What that means is simply just show up every day to your writing, no matter what happens, make time in the day for your writing, and what that does is it builds up this fancy neuroscience word called neuroplasticity, which just means habit building in a sense. So if you show up every day and write 300 words, it might feel like it's hard to do for the first week or two, but by a month 300 words is no problem and you're able to get it done quicker than you ever had before and maybe you can bump it up and do more in that sense or in that day, and then you just keep going and it keeps building up. And this kind of subscribes to this idea that I always hear people say and it doesn't like aggravate me in a normal sense, but I disagree with it so so heavily is people always say that you need to set a minimum and maximum word count for your writing session. You need to have a goal for every writing session and it's just honestly hot. Take here completely incorrect. Because if you set a minute or maximum, two things will happen. We either don't hit your minimum, so you're distraught and you take a few days off, or you hit your maximum and you feel fantastic, so you reward yourself with a few days off. And both of these situations you lose because you're taking a few days off.
Speaker 1:I've experienced this personally, so I'm speaking from firsthand experience. I've used to set a thousand word minimum and maximum to every hour that I wanted to sit down and write. You know how many times I hit it Exactly one time. But after I did some respective thinking and inward thinking, I just got rid of the minimum entirely and I shit you not. Usually, every time I sit down and write, I will most likely hit a thousand words, if not a thousand eight hundred. Before, when I had that maximum, I literally wouldn't hit five hundred and it would fucking suck part of my language. I just get so into this and I just hate when writers set a minimum and maximum and when they struggle to hit it. Never do it. It is not worth it.
Speaker 1:But this all circles back to the point of keep showing up. Now that I'm off that little rant soapbox. If you allow yourself to keep showing up every day to your writing with absolutely no minimum maximum set, you have no time restraint. You just have a time that you're going to sit down and start writing and then you'll stop when you feel like you want to stop. It gives you the freedom and the space in your brain to think instead of worrying about your time and instead of worrying about your word count.
Speaker 1:Now my good friend, dan Hendrickson, shout out to him doing some amazing stuff in the Web 3 space. When he's working on his design or other creative projects. He'll work on them until he feels the disconnect or until he feels like he doesn't want to do it anymore, and he'll stop right there in that moment. When he told me about that, I really resonated with it and I've been thinking about it over the few days and it's just a really powerful thing if you can get yourself to do that. When you're writing and you don't want to write anymore, just stop, just stop. Pat yourself on the back. If you got 30 words down, 100, you got there and you wrote. That's what matters, and this hints at the idea of this concept that's called the 20 mile march, which we're definitely going to be talking about in the future. I just need to remind myself on certain elements of it before I talk about it. As a matter of fact, I wanted to do that today in replacement for this episode, but I haven't got, like I said, a chance to research it as fully as I want to. But we're definitely going to be talking about it and it is a fantastic structured principle to follow if you have really big goals and you want to make it to, so just keep showing up and allow yourself that space to write.
Speaker 1:Next up at number two and this is definitely something that I should have done a long time ago is engage with the writing community and, believe it or not, there is a whole community out there in the world and internet that really want to help you on your quest and they want to help you succeed and they want to talk about your work. They probably even want to provide feedback if you're open to it, and being a writer can feel like a really lonely thing at times because you're kind of in your own thoughts and you have all of these stories in your head that you want to tell and it can just feel isolating at times and there's a reason why there's stories of so many classic writers going crazy or just having attachments issues because it can be kind of lonely. So realizing that there's a community out there of people that you can tap into to help you and to learn from is a really, really big thing to consider. And if you're into genre fiction in particular, you probably know and I'm going to butcher the name, so just bear with me you probably know of this resource called NaNoRyMo, something like that. They are a really good platform of creative writers who engage in forums and groups and discussions and just help each other out, and they have this monthly challenge, or not monthly, they have this challenge that happens, I believe it's once a year, and this kind of contradicts my original point of don't have a minimum or maximum, but they do a challenge where you have to write an entire novel in a month. I don't advise doing that personally, but what it does, what that challenge does do, it opens up doors for communication and opens up new possibilities for making friends that are writers and you can kind of bounce off each other. It's just important to know that you're not alone and that there is a community of valuable people to talk to. I was lucky that I bumped into a few fantastic classmates during my time in college when I was learning creative writing, that I still talk to to this day and still exchange feedback back and forth. So if you can find a group of people, it will feel a little bit less lonely at times. So next up at number three, this one is a little subjective, but writing is work and it shouldn't really be downplayed. And we as writers like to downplay ourselves a lot by saying what we're doing is not really work or it's not really beneficial, so on and so forth.
Speaker 1:A lot of people that look in from the outside, especially people on the older side of things, can easily criticize writers to say that they're lazy. Nobody said don't have any talent, because they don't actually know what they're doing. And these people don't understand how hard it is to be a writer. It's not easy For one. You really don't make that much money unless you hit it big with your first book. Like Hunger Games, tolkien, you really don't make that much money until you hit it big and it requires a lot of intellect and skill in order to be a writer. So you shouldn't allow yourself or other people who aren't writers tell you that what you're doing is pointless or lazy, because it is far from it. Writing is a vocation. It should be treated like that and you should be proud every time you pick up the pen. And when I say you, I say we as a collective group of writers out there who are in this era of creativity and drama and all of this stuff. Don't downplay your work, because what you're doing is important, no matter what you're writing, even if you're writing a small article in a magazine, what you're doing is important and, like I said, writing is a noble endeavor. It will make and at the end it will make the feeling when you're actually holding your work physically in your hands all that more sweeter when you look back at the people that doubted you and wanted to downplay your skills and your decision to become a writer At number four and I'm kind of a fan of this one too and I really resonated with it personally is right when you're inspired, but don't wait for it.
Speaker 1:Now. We give some contextualized information for this. So when I watch a movie, that's a really good movie that brings me to tears, or is just a badass film. Or when I finish a really good single player story driven game like the Last of Us, and try to think another one like Dying Light One and Two Uncharted is a better example for me. When I finish playing those games or if I go through a really awesome moment, I'm just absolutely struck by this, want to write because the ideas are coming smoother and it's like the muses are guiding my pen in that sort of way at those times, because there's just something in the film and in the game that spoke to me. I just it unlocks a creativity door in my brain. But to the tail end of the title. But you don't want to wait for it. So if I followed the schedule of only writing when you feel, only writing when I feel inspired, I would have weeks and months of downtime in between the brief hours that I am really inspired by what I just experienced.
Speaker 1:So, as the popular leadership speaker and teacher, jocko Willink, says, it is important to find the dichotomy between writing when you're inspired but not waiting for it, because inspiration might not come. It's yet to kind of find the balance between both of those. When you get inspired, you're fantastic. Use that as a jumping point and as a spark to get the flames going. But when you're not motivated, or I should say when you're not inspired, don't just not write.
Speaker 1:Remember what we talked about, for the first one is keep showing up every day. You see how it all goes back to that. It's a circle. You always have to make sure you keep showing up. All of these tips kind of use that as their foundation. So again, maybe oh, this is interesting too, because I used to try and spark inspiration. Like, if I wanted to have a writing day, I would try to watch a movie that I really like or I would try to play a game that I really like. That used to Spark the inspiration in me, passively, when I wasn't thinking about it, but when I was doing it on purpose, it wasn't happening. So it's kind of hard right. So when you feel inspired, right, but don't wait for it and don't try to make it artificial, and it all goes back to keep showing up.
Speaker 1:And and finally, the last bit of advice that I had in mind for literally all of 2023, but I wasn't really able to put it into words, either vocally or written. Is this right here. First, make it exist. Second, make it make sense. Third, make it good. And what that basically translates to in art, in writer speak, is your first draft is not going to be good, and you shouldn't convince yourself that it is, unless you're Jimmy Neutron and a genius, and it's okay if it's not good. Your second draft is where you make it make sense, and your third draft is where you make it good, and maybe even your third, fourth or fifth draft if you need it. Again, the first draft is literally there for you to get what's in your brain out on paper, and this is a concept that I had in mind pretty much all year, but again, I couldn't really articulate it until I seen this comment, which is where this title came from on reddit, as I was writing a blog today, and Originally, where the seed came from Was from the author who really motivates me and is my north star, pierce Brown, who is the author of the Red Rising series, and he's currently blowing up in the science fiction space because of these books.
Speaker 1:He even has his own. He even has his own convention. Sorry, howler con. Highly recommend it. Check it out if you're interested. I don't know if there's one going on this year. But the community around these books are growing really quick and I'm pretty sure there's adaptations for Netflix or something along the line coming sometime in the future. But long story short, he is a really good author in science fiction and he had an interview that I was watching where he basically said it I'm paraphrasing because I don't remember the exact words the first draft I sent to my editor and they thought I was on a crack.
Speaker 1:That first draft never saw the light of day and I was like huh, that's awesome, because at the time I was so hard on myself and I was like everything I'm writing is garbage, I'm not gonna make it anywhere. And just realizing that even from him, this proven, established writer, that his first draft Were like looked at like are you crazy? It made me feel significantly better. So if you find yourself in the same situation that I did and still do at times that I'm really down, just keep in mind that your first draft isn't gonna be perfect and even Famous writers now still have the same exact struggles that new writers do. So it's you know it all good.
Speaker 1:Again, this kind of goes back to their talk with the community. Engage with other writers. It really opens up the perspective a little bit and makes the journey a lot more manageable, because you know you're not alone and you know your first draft isn't gonna be perfect. So just keep that in mind. As you're, you're going through your manuscript. I mean revision. Revision exists for a reason it's a part of the writing process, because it's useful and because that's how stories get polished. So that is a very, very powerful bit of advice that I hope you find some use in as well.
Speaker 1:So now we're going to end off this episode by just talking about some of the comedically bad writing advice that you should just stay away from when you're starting out, or even just when you're well-rounded as a writer. Just avoid these to the ends of the earth. I'm just going to read them and we'll talk about them, and if there's any more elaboration, we can go down that path. But what I have here this is interesting.
Speaker 1:So write what you know. Why would you want to do that? Unless you're writing nonfiction, why would you want to write what you know about? That's boring, I mean. Of course, having experience adds authenticity, but that can limit creativity. So don't feel afraid to explore things and unfamiliar topics and just do research. I mean, I don't know how to fight with a sword. Do you know how to fight with a sword? Do you know how to diffuse a bomb? Do you know how to lead an army? Do you know how to fly a plane? Do you know how to I don't know shoot some super science fiction weapon? Do you know how light? If you're using a laser gun, would you know how light would power that weapon? I mean, these are things that not too many people, if anybody, really knows about. So don't feel afraid, just do some basic research. So if someone tells you you should write what you know, don't listen to them. This one is going to be kind of a hot take because I've literally spent semesters learning how to do this and reflecting on it. It's kind of painful.
Speaker 1:This idea of show, don't tell, and don't get me wrong, you want to show when you can and never rely on telling unless you have to. But a lot of the time or I should say a good amount of times, telling is actually required and showing would make the writing sound awkward. It goes both two ways straight. Sometimes you need to tell and not show. Sometimes you have to show, not tell, any any instance that you can show instead of telling, do it. But don't allow people to tell you you are never allowed to tell, because sometimes it's necessary for pacing or conveying information effectively, and finding the right balance is key. Once again, beating the dead horse. Sometimes telling is needed.
Speaker 1:This next one is kind of similar to if someone tells you to write what you know. If the same person says write for your audience, just run away. I would just disengage from the conversation because trying to please everyone can dilute your voice. You want to write the story you're passionate about, which is the one job as a writer. I don't think I mentioned this, but the one job as a writer that we all share is to write the story that we would want to read. That is our only obligation, and writing for your audience would go against that only obligation. You want to write what you want to read. You don't want to write for certain people. Now that changes a little bit. When you have a successful series going on, obviously you have to finish that series and it's kind of writing for your audience. But don't allow your audience in the back of your mind to change decisions, like if you were going to kill a fan favorite character and it's really good for the plot. Just do it. Don't allow the backlash you would get. Stop you because that's a little silly. So don't try to appease the masses because it will never work.
Speaker 1:The next one is follow a strict structure. Now again subjective, based on the person, but structures like the three act model are useful. But rigid adherence again kind of like writing what you know will stifle your creativity. You kind of want to experiment with different structures to find what works for your story. You don't want to just want to follow them religiously.
Speaker 1:For example, as I write Earthborne, which is my science fiction novel, which is a labor of pain and love, I use the hero's journey literary structure, but I don't follow it strictly. I actually took it and made modifications to it that help me use it for my story in a better way than just the normal hero's journey. So basically, I'll let open up the hood so we can take a peek inside. What I did, very, very simple, is every time you're going to transition to the next phase of the hero's journey, so like call to adventure, so on and so forth when you're going to the next stage, instead of just jumping right into it, I added inflection points, which are those moments that go into the next step in that literary structure. So example call to adventure Inflection point, and then the next stage inflection point. Next stage, inflection point. Maybe meeting the here mentor inflection point. Entering the other world inflection point. So on and so forth, and I found that to be really helpful. So, while the structures are beneficial and you should use them, you don't want to follow them religiously because that might actually make it harder for you to fit your story into that mold.
Speaker 1:And finally, one other piece of bad advice they never want to hear, never want to follow, is right what's popular. That goes against the entire obligation of writing the story that you want to read. Don't just write what's trendy. Don't write a science fiction story because science fiction is trendy at the moment. Don't write fantasy because it's trendy right now. Don't write fiction, just normal fiction. If it's trendy, just write what you want to write.
Speaker 1:If anyone is trying to tell you to write a specific thing, then don't listen to them. That gets a little bit harder if you're working with a publisher, because publishers are. They have a lot of weight, unless you want to self publish, which is completely possible. It's a little bit money when you're dealing with them, but if just in general, where you can, don't allow people to shape your creative writing and your writing career, right what you want to write and just black out all the other noise and bring your creativity to bear into the world, because we desperately need more of it nowadays.
Speaker 1:And with that said and done, I think it's about time we close out this episode of In Goodbyte. So thank you so much for joining me again. I really hope these bits of writing advice help you out, no matter where you are in your writing. And if you really like the show and you like what I'm doing, feel free to check out my website at the dash world dash builder dot com. I have blogs that go out every few weeks. And if you really really like what I'm doing and you want to support me, feel free to check out my co fi at co fi dot com slash world builder. Any support I greatly appreciate. It allows me to keep doing this because I love doing it, allows me to expand it and see what happens. So again, thank you so much for joining me and I'll catch you in the next one.
