Not All Writing Advice is Going To Apply To You, And Your Work

There's a metaphor I've used several times since I started this blog most of a decade ago, which is comparing the writing process to going to the gym. However, while this comparison works on multiple levels, I feel that one aspect I haven't touched on is, quite simply, there's no such thing as universal exercise advice. Something that works perfectly for one person isn't going to work at all for someone else; it all depends on who you are, where you're starting, what your end goals are, and a thousand other factors.

So please, keep all of this in mind whenever you start looking for things to improve your writing regimen.

Not all exercises are for every regimen, after all.

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Different Sports, Different Bodies, Different Goals

For those who need a visualization.

Too often, people just assume that every kind of writing is the same sport. Not only that, but they assume that writers are all the same kind of athlete, and that what works for one person will just as easily work for another. If you've ever tried to write something, though, you'll quickly learn that is definitely not the case.

For example, some authors are long-distance runners. Their prose is a journey, and they focus on steady progress toward that eventual goal. Other authors are sprinters, and they focus on pieces that are economy of motion; all killer, no filler, as it were. Some authors are power lifters, focusing on heavy worldbuilding, and others are cage fighters, focusing on heavy-hitting action or deep emotional impact. And as you can see from the sample above, taken from Bored Panda, all of these sports and areas of focus require different kinds of peak physiques, different kinds of training, and different areas of focus.

It's useful to think of writing advice in this context. Because just like how there's some general advice for exercising that can be used by everyone, there's also some general writing advice that will work for all authors. But the more specific the advice gets, the higher the chance there is that it's not going to work for you and your style or project.

And just like how dieting advice meant for long-distance runners is going to be the opposite of what power lifters need, and how a regimen for a fencer isn't going to be great for a wrestler, there's a lot of advice out there (including the advice on this very blog) that isn't going to work for you.

The most important thing to remember is that you know yourself and your style better than anyone on the Internet. So while I generally recommend trying various methods, and listening to the different approaches other writers use, you're the final arbiter of what's good for you and your style. Just remember that when you open your ears to other folks' approaches and suggestions, and remember that they don't know you personally, so they can't tailor their advice/recommendations to you specifically.

It seems obvious, but I felt it needed to be said.

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Like, Follow, and Come Back Again!

That's all for this week's Craft of Writing! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, or my most recent short story collection The Rejects!

 

And to stay on top of all my latest news and releases, collected once a week, make sure you subscribe to The Literary Mercenary's mailing list. 

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!

You Always Have Room For Improvement

Every writer has that wincing experience of opening an old notebook, and seeing what a past iteration of them put down on the page. And if you stick with things long enough, you may even get to have that experience by picking up an old book you wrote, or an older collection you contributed to.

It's important to remember that no matter how good you think you are, there's always room for you to perfect your craft. The flip side of that is that no matter how bad you think your writing is, you can always use that last attempt as a ladder to climb a little higher.

Trust me, nobody's perfect.

Before we get started, remember to sign up for my weekly newsletter if you want to stay on top of all my latest releases. If you want to help me keep the wheels turning and the lights on, consider becoming a Patreon patron. And lastly, to follow all my followables check out my Linktree!

Now then, let's get to it!

Get Those Gains!

One of my favorite metaphors to describe writing, as my regular readers know, is to compare it to weightlifting. Because while your natural strength (talent) matters, it's only one component. There's also your discipline, the particular routine you do, your form, advice from more experienced lifters (mentors and other writers), your diet (what you read), and a hundred other factors!

Bro, do you even know Dostoyevsky?

Another similarity between writing and weightlifting, though, is that it can feel like you make a lot of progress when you start, but after a while you slow down. Even if you're still adding plates to the bar, it may not be as significant as the difference between your first month and your first quarter check in.

Because of that it's easy to get complacent. To go in and do the same routine, getting similar results every time. And even if what you're doing is good, you can still actively choose to make yourself better!

This doesn't mean you have to utterly change up your writing and do something completely different, though; as with the weight room, you can alter any number of factors as you see fit. Maybe you want to take a break from longer projects, and work on short stories for a bit to tighten up your plots and word choices. Perhaps you want to swap genres, switching out your blood and scares for some heartfelt romance. Or maybe you just change the media you consume and study, examining how other creators do things so you can take apart their tales and add useful tools to your box.

Sometimes these changes are going to go poorly. After all, just because you're a strong power lifter doesn't mean you're going to be good at endurance exercises. But no one is good at everything on their first try. Learning from your failures and mistakes is key, and all the lessons those previous attempts teach you will come in handy down the line.

Because if you never challenge yourself, and you never try anything different, then just like in the weight room you're going to plateau... and nobody wants that.

A Project That Put This On My Mind

The subject of learning and growing as a creator trying to do different things is on my mind because I've been working on making short audio dramas based on some of the fiction inside my various RPG supplements that have come out over the past few years. While my fledgling efforts could be called fine under the most generous of measures, I'm genuinely impressed by how much improvement has gone into the project in a relatively short period of time. They're still not perfect, of course, and I have a lot of improving still to do, but I find it encouraging to see things get a little better every time.

More on that process in Making Improvements Over Time (Progress on My RPG-Inspired Audio Stories) if that's something you'd like to take a closer look at!

Like, Follow, and Come Back Again!

That's all for this week's Craft of Writing! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my cat noir novel Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, or my most recent short story collection The Rejects!

 

And to stay on top of all my latest news and releases, collected once a week, make sure you subscribe to The Literary Mercenary's mailing list. 

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!

Self Care is an Important Part of Being an Author

As a professional blogger, RPG designer, and author, I spend a lot of time in front of my laptop cranking out content. Because of how sedentary this job is, it also means I spend at least a few days a week going to the gym, undoing the damage sitting around does to my waistline. However, sometime last week I increased my weight, and tweaked something in my lower back. Nothing torn, nothing sprained, but there was a discomfort that wouldn't go away. So I worked around it, which meant that I had to lower the weight on some of my other lifts, and skip a few others entirely in order to give myself time to heal.

Which I did, in case any of my readers were concerned for my well-being.

Everything is back to normal... of course, none of this is my blood.

However, while I was working around this temporary injury, I started thinking about the similarities between weightlifting and writing. It's a comparison I've used before, but I've never stepped back to appreciate how much mental effort is required in both of them. And, more importantly, that pushing yourself to write can sometimes be just as dumb as trying to increase your weight when your body is at less than full capacity.

It's Okay To Take It Easy (When You Need To)

Writing is, in many ways, like working out. Your success is a combination of your natural strength, your dedication, and your routine. Just like how you have to stick to your regimen in order to keep your body fit, you need to write every day if you're going to produce books, blogs, etc. on a regular basis.

It is still possible to sprain your brain, though. And you need to be able to recognize when you're getting to that point.

It's okay to put the weight down if you're feeling the strain.

When you're exercising, you get to know your body. One of the sensations you learn to feel for is the difference between your muscles hurting because you're working them (and getting sore), and your muscles hurting because they're getting close to injury. It might take a few accidents, and a little bit of recuperation on the couch, but you learn to judge those sensations quite accurately.

The same thing happens when you're writing.

If you're jamming away on the keyboard, but you're not making the sort of progress you want, then stop. Take a deep breath, and back away from the project for a moment. Get some perspective, and analyze what's going wrong. Is the problem with the project, perhaps in the form of a plot twist that isn't working the way you want, or that the dialogue isn't coming out the way you like? If it's a manuscript issue, then get some water, slap some chalk on your hands, and once you've had a small breather, come back at it while maintaining good form.

But what if the problem is you? Not that you're punching above your weight class with your current project, but that you're coming at it with a hand tied behind your back. For example, did you get a good night's sleep? Have you eaten recently? Did you use up all your energy cranking out work that was on deadline, so your mental biceps are like noodles? Are you currently under a lot of stress because of an argument with a family member, or did you just get back from a convention, and haven't had time to decompress?

In those situations, you need to know your limits. If you told yourself you were going to do 1,000 words, but you're struggling to get there, there's no shame in hitting save with 500 words, and then tending to yourself. If your routine says one thing, but you feel that limit coming up in your mental muscles, put the project down. It will be there tomorrow.

Most importantly, do not feel guilty for taking care of yourself. You have to do the work to finish the book, the same way you have to sweat in order to get the physique you want, but you will do neither of these things if you push until you burn out.

It Gets Easier

The thing that can be hard to remember is that the longer you do this, the easier it gets. Plot problems that would have cracked your teeth when you first started will be solved in a brief moment of reflection. Dialogue that would have made you sweat bullets will flow like water from an open tap. Because you gain skill the longer you do something. And, while skill by itself is impressive, it's important to remember that if you are alert, energized, and awake, you'll be better able to wield that skill.

Hopefully some folks found this week's installment on The Craft of Writing helpful. If you're one of those folks who'd like to keep this blog going, then why not stop by The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to toss a little bread in my jar? $1 per month is a big help, and it gets you some sweet swag to boot. Lastly, if you haven't done so already, why not follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter?