6 Responsibilities of Good Writers
With great writing comes great responsibility.
I mean it. For many of us, writing is a joy. But here’s the thing: it’s powerful. Words are powerful. Stories are POWERFUL. As writers, there are a few things we can do to give ourselves a better chance of wielding that power responsibly and effectively.
Read. A lot.
You’ve likely heard this before. It is common advice for writers. That’s because it really is the foundation of good writing. If you want to be a writer – a good writer – you’d better make reading a part of your routine. Read for enjoyment, but take note of the author’s craft as you go along. Learn what you can. Notice when an author does something brilliant with their words and when they leave something to be desired. Both are valuable learning tools. Ask yourself: how did the author write this moment? Why did the author write this moment? And, was it effective? Why or why not?
2. Make writing a habit.
This might be second-nature to some of us, especially when we are in the midst of an exhilarating project. However, the reality is that a lot of writers have a day job. Between work, family, and all the other commitments that crop up as a part of being a functioning adult, writing can get left to the side. We either put it off or turn our attention to it when we have very little energy or creative juices left.
“…come up with a plan to get yourself writing more than just when you have the energy or when the mood strikes. If writing gives you life and joy, it should be a priority.”
My recommendation: figure out what time of day is your ideal time to write. When are your ideas popping around your head like a kid with a piece of bubble wrap? When are you focused and inspired? When are you typically the most productive? For me, it's the morning. This is unfortunate, given that I have to be at work when I most want to be with my characters. I struggled along for months, writing on weekends or the occasional evening when I was able to muster the energy. However, when I started setting my alarm earlier (what a novel idea), I found I was able to take advantage of the early morning time, before work, to write. This not only contributed to my productivity as a writer, but also to my sense of fulfilment and well-being as a person. I was once again making time for the thing I loved the most! I started heading off to work with a smile on my face, moving with purpose and energy, because I had started off the day doing something that made me feel like…me.
Your time to write may not be the morning. Maybe you’re a night owl. Maybe as long as the sun is up, you’re good to go. Figure it out, and if it all possible, see if you can make the time to write during your most productive and inspiring time. Not everyone will be able to, of course. In that case, come up with a plan to get yourself writing more than just when you have the energy or when the mood strikes. If writing gives you life and joy, it should be a priority.
3. Take breaks.
This one is straightforward, but honestly it can be such a life-saver. How many times have I been agonizing over a sentence, the clock ticking, only to have the solution present itself after getting up and leaving the room for a moment or two? Breaks don’t have to be long – you could go put the kettle on, do some dishes, or even just stand, stretch your arms over your head, and look out the window. It might feel counter-productive, but this is actually really good for our brains. What might have taken you thirty minutes to come up with if you’d stayed locked in front of your screen can come to you in a matter of seconds after a quick break.
4. Get out in the real world and have some experiences.
This can be as simple as taking a walk around the block and observing what you see. I rather think writers should learn to be hyper-sensitive to the world around them. The sights, the sounds, the cause-and-effect occurrences. People and the ways in which they interact with each other. The words they use, the emotions they reveal (or don’t reveal), the stories they tell – sometimes out loud, sometimes without saying a thing.
Our goal should be to write stories that ring true for our readers. Even if we are writing fantasy or science fiction, the characters should be recognizable. The more specific details we can glean from the real world to inspire us, the better!
5. Write a book you want to read.
I love this one because every time I remember it, I find it immensely freeing.
It goes like this: I am hunched over the keyboard, trying to write a scene that describes the street where my protagonist lives, and I am bored out of my skull. I really could care less about cheerful fences, the carefully-maintained flower beds, or the loud dog who lives across the road. I’ve been working on the scene for fifteen minutes when I suddenly realize that it really doesn’t matter. The street itself isn’t important to the story I want to tell, and the fact that I don’t care about it guarantees that my reader won’t either.
“Your story gets to be exactly what you wish it could be.”
Now, what I do care about is the vandalism that has been occurring up and down the street for the past month and my protagonist’s plan to catch the vandals in the act. That’s the story I’m going to focus on telling. If I happen to mention the flowerbeds or the dog across the street in order to help set the scene, so be it. But don’t waste time telling the story you think you should tell, the story you would expect to find if you picked the book up off the shelf at your local bookstore. Write the story you want to tell! Your story gets to be exactly what you wish it could be. Don’t lose focus. It is an incredible gift to be able to craft a story in precisely the way you see fit.
6. Give your writing room to breathe.
This might be the most important one I’ve come across in my own writing journey.
Here’s the thing: almost every time I finish writing – whether it is an entire book or just a few paragraphs – I leave with a self-satisfied smile. I’m a genius, I think. The world is sure lucky to have me. I go about my life, content in the knowledge that I have crafted a literary masterpiece.
Fast-forward to the next time I sit down with that piece of writing. I begin to read over my work and discover to my horror that it doesn’t read nearly as nicely as it did when I first wrote it. The syntax is choppy, the vocabulary is flowery, the character’s banter not nearly as witty as I had thought.
I don’t know why this happens over and over again, but I suspect it has something to do with our amazing brains and the way they work. For some reason, time and distance provide a new perspective, the ability to notice errors that we missed the first time around. (Heck, I’ve found grammar mistakes in my work after ten times through. Inevitably, I think to myself: How on earth did I miss that?)
When you are in love with a project, taking time away from it can be difficult. Sometimes a day is enough. If it is a larger project, like a manuscript, give yourself more space. It’s honestly like gaining a superpower when you come back and see your work with fresh eyes.
If you have been writing for a long time, you have likely already come to an understanding of these concepts through your own experience. If that’s the case, I hope this post served to affirm the incredible practices you already have as a writer! Perhaps it has reminded you of something you’d forgotten or has given you a new idea that you can take with you into the future. If you are just starting out on your writing journey, I hope these ideas will encourage or inspire you in your work.
Happy writing!