Write the Damn Thing
12 blunt lessons from a lifelong writer who learned them the hard way
You’re starting to write now? You realise you have a story in you and you want the world to know? Great.
I wrote my first published piece when I was 11, for a children’s magazine. Have steadily being writing and editing since. But there have been large gaps in my practice and the below are some things I wish someone had told me when I was a nineteen year old baby writer with low-confidence, been made editor for the college paper.
If you’re a seasoned writer (first of all, what are you doing here?) you already know this.
You don’t have to write in sequence. Nobody is stopping you from writing in sequence, of course. In fact, if you diligently outline before you even start writing, then going scene by scene helps. But if you’re stuck or bored or facing a block or don’t know how to progress, don’t wait for someone to tell you to write out of order. Write the most urgent scene, or event, or character trait, or dialogue. Go from most urgent to least urgent and you can always stitch the events together in a later draft.
Yes, you have to read. No, there are no exceptions. Your TBR list may be endless and you may not find time easily, but you’ll still have to read. Consider your medium. Just because you have an idea in your head doesn’t mean it has to be a novel. If you see it as a movie, write a screenplay. Write a game. Write a comic book storyboard. But you will still have to consume media in which you want to write.
You don’t need permission to write a certain way. If you’re still on your first draft (or even the final one), anything and everything goes. No one can tell you what is right or what is wrong, so stop feeling insecure about it. You want your character to be flat, make her flat. You want them to boring or manic, make them boring or manic. You want him to die in the first page. Do it. You want them to be cruel, make them cruel. Your writing process is not the same as the other writers? That’s fine, because your process is your own. There is only one rule and in this case it’s bonus tip no. 12!
Yes, you have to love the language. I will not be elaborating.
Don’t send your first draft to beta readers or editors. Those drafts are you telling yourself the story. The thoughts are half-formed, not well-researched, the scenes need work, line level and developmental edits. But readers will not read it as such, no matter the instructions and excuses you provide to them. Their reading minds will treat the rough draft as a finished piece of work and they will judge accordingly. Receiving feedback in this industry can be brutal. Don’t end up hurting your own feelings by sharing work before it’s ready.
Yes, your first draft is a pile of dog doodoo. You’re not alone. There are published works which are a pile of dog doodoo and people have published them, sold them, readers have bought them, read them and loved them. Keep writing.
No, your friends and family cannot be your beta (or alpha) readers. Yes, they may be readers and they may even like to read in the genre that you’re writing in, but that still makes them terrible choices when it comes to seeking honest feedback. They will not want to hurt your feelings and you don’t need that kind of misdirection, especially if you’re serious about improving your craft. Seek support in other ways.
Don’t be upset when family and friends don’t read your work. I see this a lot in writers’ groups where writers complain about their partners (the love of their lives!!) not reading or not having a deep discussion about their latest chapter. But here’s the thing: their partners may not be the target audience. Getting supported by your family and partners and friends is fantastic. But support has different faces. You will have to learn to recognise that. A partner who doesn’t have an in-depth chat about your MC’s arc but ends up sorting a writing nook for you, is a partner who is still showing their support.
Flex your writing muscles. You write long form, TTRPG, micro-fiction, nonfiction and that’s what your comfortable with? Great. Now step out of the comfort zone and try writing something completely different. It could be on the opposite end of the spectrum, it could be terrible, or good and it doesn’t have to be for the public eye. Shake it up. It’s like how strong your muscles get when you change up the exercise routine? Writing different things just strengthens your skills. This is also one of the best ways to keep writer’s block at bay.
The community is waiting for you. Writing is a lonely activity. You’re in your head and you’re doing your thing and only you can write the story you want to tell. It’s not a team sport. And here’s where the community really helps. Finding a good critique group or a handful of reliable beta readers or a support group of fellow writers can take time (and be immensely disappointing). But keep looking (on Facebook, Reddit, Bluesky, Discord, Substack) and keep contributing and supporting other writers through their process. Suggest online meets once every month or two. If it’s an offline real-life group then meet them. It’s VERY rewarding to be around people who are in the same boat as you.
You don’t have to write everyday. Writing everyday or showing up to nurture your creativity is always a good thing. But life can get in the way, other things need more attention, like family or work, and measuring your writing progress in word counts (can be really fun!) is not the only way to measure your growth. If you are unable to show up at your WIP everyday, then so be it. Your writing routine is defined by your life. Stop feeling guilty about it.
Bonus Tip 12:
There is only one rule. Make sure the reader keeps turning the page. Your story is in a battle against a reader’s need to go to bed, or to work, or to their chores and errands. And it needs to be winning that battle. And yes, you can ignore all the other rules.
Now go on and finish your damn book.
Happy writing!
Amrita
Follow along with my writing (and eating and cooking) adventures here, where I promise to document both the triumphs and the failures.