The Best Writing Advice I Have
[image description: an open book with the words “the best is yet to come” painted across two pages.]
It’s officially 2022 and I figure that the writers who enjoy this blog have probably set some New Year’s Resolutions for writing. My writing life is increasingly unpredictable (in a good way!) so my only real writing goal this year is to finish another book. No matter whether you’re just dipping your toe into writing regularly or whether you’re an old pro, the piece of advice I have to share should help you make the most of your practice this year.
First, some context. I primarily write creative nonfiction but will occasionally write fiction and poetry. However, I’d never written science fiction before and wasn’t even sure if I knew how… There’s nuance to the genre that I am simply unpracticed at.
But a few months ago, I got an idea for a sci-fi short story. At first, I thought, “Well, that’s nice, but I’m not a sci-fi writer,” so I tried to put the idea out of my head to get back to my usual writing. And yet, the idea stayed with me, so I finally gave in and wrote it down, not knowing what I’d end up doing with the story.
The story––called “The Memory Store”––sat on my hard drive for a few weeks when I happened to see a call for submissions for a science fiction short story contest, specifically for stories relating to a post-apocalyptic period, which mine was. I thought “What the hell, why not?”, hit submit, and promptly forgot about it.
Just before the end of 2021, I got an email saying that my story won 2nd place in the contest! At first, I thought it had to be a mistake because I didn’t feel qualified to win anything with “The Memory Store” being my first science fiction story.
I was suddenly glad I listened when the idea for the story came and didn’t delay too long. That’s when I realized that perhaps the best writing advice I can give, both to myself and others, is this: When the muse comes, you take what she gives you and run with it immediately.
Don’t question whether it’s a good idea because the risk is low and the potential return is grand. Don’t wait so long that the idea leaves you. Don’t question whether you’re the best person to write the story because you wouldn’t have thought of the idea if you weren’t in a position to write it. And not to get all woo-woo, but I think there’s something to be said for listening to your intuition, even when it’s something as seemingly inconsequential as a story idea. I believe that following through on one inspiration invites more inspiration to come.
Maybe you know this already––awesome. Maybe you’ve heard it all before––good! But if you’re looking for a sign to write that wild-ass story that won’t leave you alone, consider this it. I hope you make 2022 your best writing year yet. I know I am.
