Find Yourself, Be Yourself

If you’re like me, you’ve read many books and blogs about writing. You’ve listened to Podcasts. You’ve watched YouTube videos. And, as a result, you’ve heard a lot of opinions. Some conflicting.

One of the first and most impressionable books on writing for me was Stephen King’s On Writing. One part autobiography and one part tutorial, I came away from that book thinking that, to be successful writer, I needed to be able to crank out 10,000 words a day, taking no thought beforehand what the heck I would spill out onto the page.

Recently, I listened to a Podcast that identified 10 things that will NOT make you a better writer. What can I say? I was curious.

By the end of the Podcast, however, I was more annoyed than motivated. It’s not that the advice was bad. I’m sure it was excellent. In fact, I thought it was mostly good. Especially for writers who are having trouble writing at all.

But, honestly, a few of the “things” annoyed me. One in particular.

According to the Podcaster, one of the “worst” things to do is to write and revise at the same time.

The Podcaster argued that each task required a different side of the brain, and that those poles cannot function at the same time. The Podcaster seemed adamant that this struggle would ruin the project. Principally because one cannot revise if one does not know where one is going. Revising, this Podcaster warned, will lead to wasted effort (maybe destroying product you eventually want to keep) if the destination changes, then changes back again.

This annoyed me.

I admit that the Podcaster makes a living writing and helping others write. I do not. The Podcaster is—I’m certain—a published writer. I am not. And I have appreciated some of the other advice this Podcaster has given. So I don’t want to overstate things.

But I have written. I do write. I will keep writing.

And I love revising as I go.

Unlike the Podcaster’s dire warning, my mind hasn’t exploded from the apocalyptic contest between the “artistic” and “rational” sides of my brain. Nor has revising while I write proven a waste of time for me. Because I do know where I’m going. Because I am—generally—an outliner.

Which brings me to my point.

Stephen King has his process. John Grisham has another. The first does no outlining, while the latter outlines out the wazoo. Or so I’ve heard. Every author falls somewhere between these two poles. I am still learning what my process is. I hope you are too.

The thing is, I don't believe there is one true way to write. I think that whatever gets words on the page is good. Whatever works for you is the right way.

Does it make sense to try new things? Absolutely. Especially if the challenge is getting started. Can switching methods or styles or philosophies do damage? Maybe. But only in the short term. If it doesn’t work, then stop it. Go back to what works. Go back to being you.

At the end of the day, I think we can only learn this truth about ourselves through the act of writing itself. Over time.

More importantly, we can only get better by writing. A lot.

We have to create. Often. We have to put in the time and effort. Again and again. We have to put in the reps. We have to do the work.

Are there exceptions? Most certainly. But they’re not reading books or blogs or Substacks about writing, are they? They’re actually writing.

As for the rest of us, we have to learn how to write the same way we learn everything else. From language to music to athletics.

Practice. Practice. Practice.

So what’s the point of this? I’m glad you asked.

First, don’t give up. If you’re writing, you’re awesome! Keep doing it. Try something new. Experiment. Get outside your comfort zone.

Second, there are a lot of opinions out there. A lot of advice. The law of large numbers guarantees that some of that advice is crap. Maybe a lot of it. Maybe this.

Even the good advice might not be good for me. Or for you. Because we’re all different. We think differently. We create differently. We write differently.

And that’s awesome!

So find yourself.

Be yourself.

And rejoice in that uniqueness.