People often ask me for advice on writing. (No one ever asks me for my skincare routine, which is understandable, but hurtful). First of all, you don’t need to make writing your main form of communication if writing is not your thing. There are others, possibly more enjoyable and effective ways for you to get your ideas out into the world. Videos, for example. Or Vietnamese water puppetry. I always say we don’t have enough Vietnamese water puppetry in our sector.
But if writing is, or might be, your thing, here are some tips that work for me. Keep in mind that I am a highly distractible person, a “chaotic creative,” so take what you find helpful, and ignore the rest:
- Understand that writing is a torturous process. Yes, it can be a beautiful pain, like the aches you feel after a long hike in the woods, or when you eat delicious but very spicy food and your whole mouth is on fire. Nonetheless, it is painful. Accept it. Embrace it. Be one with the pain.
- Set aside a regular time for you to write: Think of it like going to the gym. You must set the time to do it, and eventually at some point you will enjoy it. Maybe. I have no idea. I’ve never been to a gym except at assemblies during college.
- Have a running list on your phone of topics to write about: Make a habit of jotting down in your phone potential topics as you go about your day. When it’s time to write, scroll through the list and realize 95% of your topics are garbage. But that leaves 5%, which is not bad!
- Create a ritual to get yourself into the mindset of writing. For me, it involves waiting until the last minute, feeling terrible about myself, going on a walk around the neighborhood, cooking pasta, and occasionally weeping with shame while eating a bowl of fettucine.
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