No Tips
I receive many questions from people who want to write and publish. They often start with the same six words: "Can you give me some tips . . ."
So here I thought I'd share my email response to a young man who started by asking for general "tips." When I wrote back and said, "Dude, you just need to read every day," he doubled down.
He wrote back and asked for specific tips on "being descriptive." I'm sharing my response for anyone who has these same questions. You may think I'm full of it, and that's fine. But my words are heartfelt.
Hey Kaiden,
I’m about to throw down some tough love you will not want to hear. Prepare yourself.
I appreciate the fact that you’re anxious to increase your knowledge about writing. I think that’s cool, and I encourage it.
But what I wrote back to you last time is going to be my answer for ANY specific question you have. Tips on being descriptive? The only tip I have is to constantly read and study how different authors do it.
Tips on dialogue? Read a bunch of novels and see how various authors do it. Some of them, like Elmore Leonard, are (in my opinion) masters of dialogue.
Tips on pacing? Tips on first paragraphs? Tips on setting?
Dude, there just are no shortcuts for learning these things. There are no “tips.” Take 100 writers and they’ll have 100 different ways of being “descriptive.” Then 100 other writers will have 100 different ways of creating tone, mood, and writing dialogue.
I don’t believe in tips. Tips are like looking for a YouTube shortcut, like learning how to install a furnace filter. With writing, there are no shortcuts. The only way you learn is to read and to write. Every single day.
You won’t copy anyone else. That’s not what I’m saying. But you’ll gradually develop your own style based on the variety of other writing styles you’ve absorbed.
The stuff you write today will suck compared to what you write a year from now. And a year after that your writing will be much better again. I never read a “how to” book on writing. My how-to books were just other books.
Are there books on the craft of writing? Sure. And many of them could be sorta helpful. One of the few I’d recommend is by the guy I mentioned above. “Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing” is one of the best ever, and he obviously feels the same way about tips that I do.
But if you’re curious about being descriptive, there’s no tip—just pick up a really good book, a classic like “To Kill a Mockingbird” and see how Harper Lee described the town of Maycomb. You'll feel like you're really there.
I guarantee you any other author would’ve described it in a completely different way. So what tip would Harper give compared to these other writers?
We don’t learn writing by getting tips, nor by seeing how ONE person does it. We each have our own style, and we get inspired by reading the hard work that another author has invested into a book or short story. We slowly—and that’s the key—we slowly grasp the nuances of writing and telling a story.
I know you want tips and shortcuts, but I don’t want to give you shortcuts. I was reading like a madman when I was your age. I probably went through two or three books a week, every week. And to this day, even though I’m busy writing every day, I find time to read 30-35 books a year.
These days I’m writing thrillers. So currently I’m reading a classic series of thrillers by an author named John D. MacDonald. His style is VERY different from mine, but I like seeing how he pulls it off. It’s refreshing and interesting. And ultimately it will make me think about trying new things.
You’re probably frustrated that I won’t just give you tips. I don’t believe in them. Writers write. Go back and look at what I said in my last reply to you: “Lots of people TALK about writing, but only a few really put in the work . . .”
I know this is not what you want to hear. You may want the YouTube version of learning how to write. But Kaiden, in my opinion it doesn’t exist. Your questions are excellent, they really are, but the answers aren’t in a textbook. They’re in the books you’re already reading. Or hopefully reading.
So instead of reading for fun, start reading with the eye of a writer. Pay attention to how authors craft their stories, how they build suspense, how their characters converse. You need to read like a student of writing.
Sorry if I’ve disappointed you, but I wish you all the best in the world. Keep reading and keep writing. I think you’ll find over the years that your best teachers are simply other authors.
Dom
To follow up, I can tell you this: I never heard a peep back from Kaiden. That pretty much told me I was spot-on with my analysis: He merely wanted the shortcut. Actually putting in the effort was out of the question. “Just give me the bullet points, man.”
Lots of people who are selling “How To Write” books will gladly proclaim they can tell you these quick answers. Just give them $19.95 and they’ll reveal the mysteries of writing to you.
But, sorry: There are no “tips,” other than to read and write every day. There, I just saved you 20 bucks.
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If you hated this advice, do NOT buy Dom a tea or a beer. But, if deep down you think he’s probably right, throw him a beverage right here. You’ll still come out ahead.
