1. Ideas need space. Like water, air and the other elements.
Create space. The ideas will come.
2. Don’t hedge. Don’t hem and haw. Don’t pre-empt criticism or apologise in advance.
(So don’t say “perhaps you shouldn’t hedge in your writing” or “it is generally not good to hem and haw.”)
4. If you’re stuck, either make it urgent or go small.
5. If it feels too important to finish, get it over with quickly.
A universe of ideas awaits you on the other side. But you won’t get to them if you keep worshipping this one.
6. Any wordsmith can say it pretty. A writer’s job is to say it true.
7. If you’re writing because you need to be heard, have a conversation instead.
Write mostly to hear yourself.
8. Remember, writing is not a substitute for connection. Connection is not a substitute for writing.
9. Niches are for stowing objects, develop a voice instead.
10. Read eclectically. Seek dusty books, pick quotes off restroom walls, borrow from unlikely people, and accept free copies from places of worship.
Read what your reader doesn’t, so you can write what they’ve never seen before.
11. To write for the ears, manipulate rhythm. To write for the eyes, manipulate space.
12. Metaphors are reservoirs of creativity. Invent metaphors so you never need to search for “your voice” again.
13. Write the next thing that’s in your head. Eventually you’ll run out self-judgment.
14. One sentence, one idea.
15. Not all writers write. But all writers take walks (if they can).
16. A single extraneous word can ruin the page. The less you say, the easier it is to create the illusion of excellence.
17. The ugly, inane, clumsy piece you are writing today may turn out to be your most important work in ten years’ time.
18. Mining coal is hard, writing is easy.
To write is a privilege and sometimes a responsibility; it is not a chore.
19. The point of finishing is to create space for the next idea to sweep you off your feet.
20. If you have everything a person could reasonably ask for and still something seems to be missing, you may secretly be a writer who has not been writing.
Through writing and reading, I’ve found a universe of ideas that have forever enriched my life. Now I want to share them with you.
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I write twice a month, sharing insights from me and brilliant ideas from other writers.