A few days ago I asked those of you who follow me on Instagram to send me writing questions that you wanted me to answer in this newsletter and boy did y’all come through! I have enough questions for quite a few installments - which is great because I’m writing a book and getting married and it’s really hard to come up with newsletter ideas when my brain is pudding slowly sifting through moldy swiss cheese!
So, here are some answers that you, my beautiful readers, have asked about writing:
“How do I pick an idea from all the ones swirling around in my head?” I got a few versions of this question and lemme tell ya’ll: I’m jealous of those of you who have multiple writing ideas in your head because right now I just have one lonely penny rolling around in the old piggy bank, and it’s Canadian*. Anyways. I do remember a time when my brain was bursting with ideas! It can be hard to figure out what to tackle first when you are so blessed, but here are some tips that worked for me:
Write every idea down. They won’t stay in your head forever and if you don’t write them down they will disappear. Just a sentence or two should do it. Also, the act of writing them down can help narrow down your choices because you may find that you get way more excited or feel a lot more ease in writing down one or two of the ideas over the others. It will also remove a lot of anxiety around picking just one idea, because you know that you can always come back to the others later.
Figure out which ideas won’t be as relevant later. Is one of your writing ideas based on something that is in the news right now? Is it tied to a particular event or date? That one may be the one to tackle now if you really want to write it - especially if you want to get it published somewhere.
Ask people! Sometimes when I couldn’t narrow it down I would ask friends or family what they’d love to hear me tackle first.
What writing experience do you want to have right now? Do you want to sit down and research something you are less familiar with but really curious about? Do you want to sit at your bed on your laptop and easily bang out a thousand words on something you know well? Do you want to get published? Where do you want to get published? Do you want to skip the publishing and editing process right now? There are certain topics that are more conducive to the writing experience you want to have at the moment than others. These days, that’s often what dictates any writing I take on outside of my books more than just about anything else.
“How do I stop self-editing?” Oh man, this is a question that I wish more writers asked themselves, because so many writers self-edit themselves out of a writing project! Overdoing the self-editing usually comes from a place of anxiety around your writing and fearing that your work is too broad or rambling or not “professional” enough. Here are some things you should keep in mind in order to prevent over self-editing:
Write out a strong pitch or thesis. What do you want to write about? Who do you want to write to? Why do you think it’s worth writing about? What do you want your reader to get out of the piece? Taking the time to write this out will provide a basic focus that will stop you from writing anything and everything somewhat related to the topic. If you are writing a book or longer story, you can ask yourself similar questions with new plot points, chapters, or characters.
Go wild on that first draft. Having given yourself a general direction with your pitch or thesis, run free with it! I can say this as someone who has worked as an editor and a writer: a large (within reason), messy first draft is always better than an overyly pared down one. So many times I’ve been sent first drafts that are so spare they read like encyclopedia entries instead of engaging pieces of reading. Remember, you can’t edit what’s not there! In all the mess, you are going to find hidden gems that can make the whole piece special. But if you cut it all out before you have a chance to sit down and look at the entire piece, you’ll never know what could have been.
Ask yourself: Does this serve the pitch I outlined? Once you’ve written out this giant, wild piece, you can do some editing. If you are working with an editor, I suggest you do this lightly and save the bulk for the professionals (if you’ve communicated your clear pitch or thesis to the editor, they should be able to edit down pretty easily - provided you left enough in there for them to edit!). But if you are self-publishing you can do this more carefully. Go through each paragraph and ask: does this serve the pitch? Does it support my point? Does it increase understanding of the ideas or situation at focus? Does it increase engagement with the point or story? Does it move us closer to the goals or ideas I want to leave the reader with? Cut what doesn’t serve and then go back and flesh out areas that really work! Editing shouldn’t just be about cutting things out that don’t work, it should also be about amplifying what does work.
Read the piece out loud. I highly recommend that writers - especially writers early in their career - read pieces out loud to themselves. You will be able to better hear what flows and what doesn’t; what is your genuine voice and what isn’t.
Don’t edit to sound like someone else. It’s important to value your own voice in writing. So often writers are told that “good writing” looks a certain way. But good writing is writing that accomplishes its goals. That’s it. Good writing doesn’t have to have “perfect” grammar or spelling. Good writing doesn’t have to sound poetic. Good writing doesn’t have to have a complicated vocabulary. I always try to remind students that there is a reason why we don’t write or speak in Shakespearian English today: because it doesn’t serve our writing goals. We all have the right to define our language in our name and lived experience. Any writing that effectively communicates to our intended audience and our communities is valid. We must push back against forces that tell us that we have to sound like stodgy white dudes in order to be heard. So many important voices are silenced by the gatekeeping of white supremacist patriarchy - don’t let your voice fall victim to it as well.
“Are you interested in screenwriting?” Not currently! I’m honestly still far too excited about the various book ideas in my head and genres of book writing that I want to get into right now. Also, having watched members of my family write for television, it’s not the sort of drama I want in my life right now. But who knows what the future will bring! When I think of how many places there are to explore in writing, I’m reminded that I’m still pretty much a baby in my career. And that’s a wonderful thing to know!
“How do I get back into my writing practice after two years of pandemic chaos?” I think it will be crucial to our healing from these past few years to recognize and have love for our changed selves. There is nothing to get “back into.” Not your writing practice, not your social life, not your old jeans. You are changed. What you need has changed. How you work has changed. Writing may well not be to you now what it was then. Your capacity (both emotional and time-based) for writing may have changed. That is okay.
Start exploring what writing can mean to you now. How can it serve who you are today? How can it fit into the schedule you have right now? What writing might bring you joy and comfort? Start experimenting with your writing, free of judgement. Try writing at different times of day and for different lengths of time. Try free writing. Write from some prompts that others have come up with and see if you find any patterns of what you enjoy writing about and what you don’t.
If writing is to be a lifelong partner to you, it is important to remember that it is not just about your dedication to it - it’s also about its dedication to you. Your writing hasn’t gone anywhere, it has been waiting patiently for you and watching you grow and change and it will meet you wherever you are. Let your writing see and affirm who you are now and whomever you will be in the future, instead of trying to force it into a relationship with someone that you aren’t anymore. Your writing wants to love you back, you just have to let it.
*there’s nothing wrong with Canadian money except you can’t actually use it in the US except to maybe fling at people. It’s a metaphor.
Thank you for reading. If you liked this newsletter and want to support my work, please consider subscribing here:
"How Do I Stop Self-Editing?"
Such an interesting and useful newsletter. I used to think about writing but know I am not disciplined enough to do it much less well.
Thank you! All wonderful, but a particularly appreciated your points about writing in your own voice. Right on.