Instead of story writing today, I decided to write about how I plan to write about storytelling. I’ve probably hit upon these at one time or another, but I wanted to start a list I can refer to when feeling down or hitting walls. I doubt this will cure my blocks, but I figured it couldn’t hurt (much).

Principals:

1. Find Emotion. Fiction writing isn’t computer programming. Readers want to feel. Instead of grasping at clever and cute, I will drag readers into a “more meaningful” part of myself. It’s either that or I’ll become really, really clever (right around the time I become really, really handsome).

2. Writing Takes Time. Everything worth doing takes time to do. I will spend hours writing every day, and I won’t worry about quality or success. Routine and volume will be my goal.

3. Show Experience (Even if Feigned). I will write about experiences that people don’t have, even if I have to make them up.

4. Forget the Audience. I will not worry about the audience at the early stage of writing. Lately, I focused on polishing my writing before I finish writing it. As I’ve said before, fuck the audience, at least for the early drafts. While I’ve taken to heart your critiques for turning my mud piles into lopsided vases, I have to avoid forgoing my voice or aim too early in the process.

5. It’s OK to Crumple. I will write studies of characters or stories, and not concern myself with quality; I will also crumple these studies or even whole drafts when I don’t feel its worth continuing. I might return to them, or I might not. Writing is a process of failures.

6. Respect the Audience. While forgetting the audience in the beginning, I won’t forget to polish my story for them at the end, even if it means major rewrites. I know it’s hard to look beyond my glowing brilliance, especially when my brilliance rarely glows, and is almost never brilliant.

7. Inspiration follows Dedication. I won’t wait for inspiration to strike to write. I will create my own inspiration or forsake inspiration for perspiration (ugh, I did try to stay away from that cliché).

8. Yummy Caffeine. Caffeine is a catalyst that increases my concentration and butt-to-chair stickitude. I will drink much of it.

9. Writing. I won’t talk about writing until I actually write something worth talking about. (Yeah, I thought it was ironic also.)