The Worst Writing Advice I Ever Received and Why I Stopped Censoring My Writing
Hello, dear readers,
Get ready, because this post is going to be a little different from my usual ones.
As I sat here wondering what on earth I should write about this time, I realized something. The problem isn't that I'm running out of topics.
The problem is that I censor myself.
Because let me tell you something, I may be a small human, but I have a very big mouth and even bigger opinions. š
But this is the internet, and we're constantly told to be careful about what we say.
Well...
Today, I'm not going to be careful.
Let's start with the worst piece of advice I've ever received, because it's exactly what inspired this post.
"Don't talk about this or that. You'll offend people."
Excuse me? I'll offend people? Well... they might just have to be offended.
One of the things I love most about writing is that I don't have to censor every thought I have. Don't get me wrong, being respectful will always be better than being cruel, and constructive criticism is incredibly important. But staying silent simply because a topic makes someone uncomfortable?
That's never been my style.
If you've looked at the trigger warnings for my book The Puppet King, you've probably already realized that uncomfortable topics have never scared me. I believe some subjects deserve space. They deserve to be talked about, no matter how dark or unpleasant they are.
If I constantly worry about whether every sentence might upset a small group of people on the internet, people who will probably find something new to be upset about tomorrow anyway, then I'll never write the stories I truly want to tell.
My novel explores abuse in many forms, war, control, manipulation, and plenty of other uncomfortable subjects. Not because I wanted to shock readers, but because these things have existed throughout history, they still exist today, and pretending they don't won't make them disappear.
I believe stories can help us understand difficult subjects, challenge our perspectives, and remind us of the mistakes we shouldn't repeat. That can't happen if we refuse to talk about uncomfortable things.
Now, let's talk about writing advice.
If you've followed me on social media for a while, you've probably noticed that I share writing tips all the time. And every now and then, someone leaves a comment saying, "Well, you don't have to write a book that way."
OF COURSE YOU DON'T.
Seriously. Writing isn't a checklist. There isn't one magical formula that works for every story.
The point isn't to follow every rule blindly. The point is to understand whyĀ the rule exists in the first place. Once you understand that, you'll also know when breaking it will actually make your story stronger.
The more you write and the more you read, the better your instincts become. Eventually, you'll start feeling what your story needs instead of constantly asking what everyone else would do.
That's why I share advice. Not because I expect every writer to copy my process. Not because I think I've discovered the only correct way to write a novel. And definitely not because I want to become some tiny literary dictator shouting, "No! That's not how you're supposed to write a book!"
I'm here to share what has worked for me. To tell you about the mistakes I've made. To explain the lessons I've learned. Then it's your turn to decide what belongs in your own story. Because at the end of the day, the most important writing advice I can give you is surprisingly simple:
Write the damn book.
Everything else can be edited.
If youād like to follow the journey of the book I am writing and see how itās coming together, you can find more here:
Comments