What a fantastic essay. I liked the part where you called out how many cigarettes GTK made me want to smoke (it was so many). Cigarettes are cool though, so it's ok.
Jokes aside, this is one that any writer starting out should read and let sink in. Don't get caught up in all the bullshit...
We came dangerously close to a "JUST WRITE!" there. Glad we dodged that bullet.
I seem to see a lot of people second-guessing themselves instead of just writing whatever they have in their head to write. Agonizing and second-guessing may be a way to not face the blank screen. Maybe the idea of being a writer or of having written something is enticing, but the actual process, the actual lack of ideas, is the problem for many people. And the magnificent quote from Valeria gets me choked up, because I simply cannot do postmodern irony, I just take everything straight.
There's definitely some truth in your suggestion here. I've seen two primary ways in which many "writers" will avoid the actual writing part of the process. One is constantly second guessing themselves, getting intimidated by the blankness of the screen or page, which is indicative of the lack of confidence Lisa discusses in this essay. The other can also indicate a lack of confidence, but just as often shines a light on laziness: the willingness to talk endlessly about their ideas - plot, characters, specific scenes and/or lines, and story beats - without taking the time to put words to paper. This last one is especially poisonous for many aspiring writers, as passionate discussion about our works and ideas triggers a response in our brains that is very similar to the feeling of satisfaction we get from completing a fulfilling task. By rambling excitedly about our work, we can basically trick ourselves into feeling like we've accomplished something with it when the reality is exactly the opposite.
I just checked, and that passage is a shorter, and frankly improved version of the profession of undying love from the pirate queen Belit to Conan in Queen of the Black Coast by Robert E. Howard. The classics are the classics for a reason!
Great article. I do believe we need more of this in art. I really struggle with second guessing myself. It was a Herculean task just to finally post something on Substack.
Wow. So glad I just discovered this. You have expertly assessed what is wrong with the modern thinking behind writing fiction, and have given voice to many of my own feelings on the subject. Writing "cool shit" is literally my entire philosophy behind writing and you couldn't be more right!
I am definitely going to check out your stuff. I'm a new age "Sword and Soul" Lovecraftian cosmic horror infused with urban fiction and dark fantasy new age pulp revivalist, and Gonzo journalist, so yeah ... I believe in everything you have said here! Cheers!
But it got me thinking. Hm…a healthy dose of confidence is an absolute must-have for an artist BUT, I think writers should still keep the readers in mind. Just a tiny little thought in the back of the writer’s mind. Otherwise, why post/publish one’s work at all? If we don’t give a fuck about the readers, why do we need them? Why share your writing in public then?
Oh no, it's not ignoring the reader—it's about ignoring the haters who were probably never going to read your work anyway. Your readers WANT your voice, otherwise why are they reading your work?
I haven't even passed the second paragraph and I've already got positive things to say. Buckle up, it's (briefly) story time.
Back in college, one of the majors I pursued was game design. Now before I go any further, let me disabuse any notions of what "game design" classes actually are. Do they actually teach the fundamentals of design, encouraging creative and out of the box thinking to build up basic principles that can be applied to just about any kind of game? Fuck no! Much as I enjoyed those classes for what they were, every one of them past the first was nothing more than a glorified 3D modelling class. However, the introductory class was really quite good, as it went over the stages of developing an early idea with the goal of putting together a pre-treatise that would then grow into an idea pitch.
In that early stage of that class, I learned a lesson from my professor that stuck with me for the rest of my life: it doesn't matter how stupid you think an idea sounds; if you put the work in to really develop it, it'll be badass and cool as fuck. (His words.) I've integrated that lesson into all of my writing ever since then. If I think an idea sounds fun and would work for a story I'm writing, fuck it, I'm going to try to make it work.
Does it always succeed? Of course not! But I'll tell you, it works out for me far more often than it doesn't. My first book's a good example of that. What's four of my favorite things? Vikings, pulp adventures, the crazy nightmares I sometimes have, and spooky mystery stories. Cool. Take them, mix them together, adjust the recipe over the course of a year or so, and bam, my first book was finally published. Because I wrote what I liked; what I thought was fun, what I thought was cool. And my readers enjoyed the hell out of it, just like your readers enjoy the hell out of your writing for the same reason.
They are, and your words here (and in your own fiction) reflect that. Speaking of, would you mind if I include this essay in my Sword & Saturday roundup this morning? It feels like a damn worthy addition and I'd love to help get more eyes reading your candid appraisal.
Love this. Reminds me of a quote from Henry James, which I use as my guiding light when all the noise of writing advice gets me lost: "There is only one recipe -- to care a great deal for the cookery."
I enjoyed this hugely and felt really inspired by it. I hate how calculating I seem to become when I try to start writing a novel. I'm much more free when I do short stories. I need to avoid clamming up next time I try longform. And HAVE FUN!
Hell yeah! Write that cool stuff you hallucinate about at work while staring into the void of teams. Write what brings you back to your favorite books and be fearless about what you think is cool! Push through perceptions of cringe and come out the other side clean!
What a fantastic essay. I liked the part where you called out how many cigarettes GTK made me want to smoke (it was so many). Cigarettes are cool though, so it's ok.
Jokes aside, this is one that any writer starting out should read and let sink in. Don't get caught up in all the bullshit...
We came dangerously close to a "JUST WRITE!" there. Glad we dodged that bullet.
You aren't even the only one to comment on the volume of smokes LOL
Been thinking about posting some of my short stories to substack
You should! 1) it's a great place to get critique and 2) you just don't know who needs to see your writing until you put it out there.
Go for it.
Do it! I have a bunch of short stories going up next month.
I seem to see a lot of people second-guessing themselves instead of just writing whatever they have in their head to write. Agonizing and second-guessing may be a way to not face the blank screen. Maybe the idea of being a writer or of having written something is enticing, but the actual process, the actual lack of ideas, is the problem for many people. And the magnificent quote from Valeria gets me choked up, because I simply cannot do postmodern irony, I just take everything straight.
There's definitely some truth in your suggestion here. I've seen two primary ways in which many "writers" will avoid the actual writing part of the process. One is constantly second guessing themselves, getting intimidated by the blankness of the screen or page, which is indicative of the lack of confidence Lisa discusses in this essay. The other can also indicate a lack of confidence, but just as often shines a light on laziness: the willingness to talk endlessly about their ideas - plot, characters, specific scenes and/or lines, and story beats - without taking the time to put words to paper. This last one is especially poisonous for many aspiring writers, as passionate discussion about our works and ideas triggers a response in our brains that is very similar to the feeling of satisfaction we get from completing a fulfilling task. By rambling excitedly about our work, we can basically trick ourselves into feeling like we've accomplished something with it when the reality is exactly the opposite.
That last bit, we're all guilty of. It's a traitorous dopamine hit.
I just checked, and that passage is a shorter, and frankly improved version of the profession of undying love from the pirate queen Belit to Conan in Queen of the Black Coast by Robert E. Howard. The classics are the classics for a reason!
Exactly!
Great article. I do believe we need more of this in art. I really struggle with second guessing myself. It was a Herculean task just to finally post something on Substack.
But you did, and that's a very important step!
Thanks.
I was going to do this anyway and now people are going to think I only did it because you told me to 😡
Sorry my guy, I wasn't thinking
Wow. So glad I just discovered this. You have expertly assessed what is wrong with the modern thinking behind writing fiction, and have given voice to many of my own feelings on the subject. Writing "cool shit" is literally my entire philosophy behind writing and you couldn't be more right!
I am definitely going to check out your stuff. I'm a new age "Sword and Soul" Lovecraftian cosmic horror infused with urban fiction and dark fantasy new age pulp revivalist, and Gonzo journalist, so yeah ... I believe in everything you have said here! Cheers!
“There is no escape: everything is a trope, and tropes are narrative tools, but they should not be the thing that defines your novel.” YES!!
Finally someone said it in a real ass way.
Man, there is so much excellent advice nested in that one phrase. Great essay.
Thank you!
Fun stuff. 😎
But it got me thinking. Hm…a healthy dose of confidence is an absolute must-have for an artist BUT, I think writers should still keep the readers in mind. Just a tiny little thought in the back of the writer’s mind. Otherwise, why post/publish one’s work at all? If we don’t give a fuck about the readers, why do we need them? Why share your writing in public then?
Oh no, it's not ignoring the reader—it's about ignoring the haters who were probably never going to read your work anyway. Your readers WANT your voice, otherwise why are they reading your work?
I haven't even passed the second paragraph and I've already got positive things to say. Buckle up, it's (briefly) story time.
Back in college, one of the majors I pursued was game design. Now before I go any further, let me disabuse any notions of what "game design" classes actually are. Do they actually teach the fundamentals of design, encouraging creative and out of the box thinking to build up basic principles that can be applied to just about any kind of game? Fuck no! Much as I enjoyed those classes for what they were, every one of them past the first was nothing more than a glorified 3D modelling class. However, the introductory class was really quite good, as it went over the stages of developing an early idea with the goal of putting together a pre-treatise that would then grow into an idea pitch.
In that early stage of that class, I learned a lesson from my professor that stuck with me for the rest of my life: it doesn't matter how stupid you think an idea sounds; if you put the work in to really develop it, it'll be badass and cool as fuck. (His words.) I've integrated that lesson into all of my writing ever since then. If I think an idea sounds fun and would work for a story I'm writing, fuck it, I'm going to try to make it work.
Does it always succeed? Of course not! But I'll tell you, it works out for me far more often than it doesn't. My first book's a good example of that. What's four of my favorite things? Vikings, pulp adventures, the crazy nightmares I sometimes have, and spooky mystery stories. Cool. Take them, mix them together, adjust the recipe over the course of a year or so, and bam, my first book was finally published. Because I wrote what I liked; what I thought was fun, what I thought was cool. And my readers enjoyed the hell out of it, just like your readers enjoy the hell out of your writing for the same reason.
His words are 100% truth!
They are, and your words here (and in your own fiction) reflect that. Speaking of, would you mind if I include this essay in my Sword & Saturday roundup this morning? It feels like a damn worthy addition and I'd love to help get more eyes reading your candid appraisal.
Yeah, absolutely! Thanks!
And now you're giving praise to Michael Moorcock and my boy, Elric? Yeah this essay is officially very cool 😎
Love this. Reminds me of a quote from Henry James, which I use as my guiding light when all the noise of writing advice gets me lost: "There is only one recipe -- to care a great deal for the cookery."
Thank-you. Keep writing cool shit.
AR-13L: The Little Mercmaid is my current contribution to the “Cool Shit” stack. It’s as unhinged and fun as it sounds.
I enjoyed this hugely and felt really inspired by it. I hate how calculating I seem to become when I try to start writing a novel. I'm much more free when I do short stories. I need to avoid clamming up next time I try longform. And HAVE FUN!
Thanks for a great easy.
Wow. This is inspiring.
Hell yeah! Write that cool stuff you hallucinate about at work while staring into the void of teams. Write what brings you back to your favorite books and be fearless about what you think is cool! Push through perceptions of cringe and come out the other side clean!