I loved waking up to this post on McSweeney’s, so I figured I would repost. I think that I am going to post these on my wall, next to Ideo’s Braistorming Rules. I particularly like #5 about finding your Muse.
The Ultimate Guide to Writing Better Than You Normally Do by Colin Nissan
1. Write Every Day Writing is a muscle. Smaller than a hamstring and slightly bigger than a bicep, and it needs to be exercised to get stronger. Think of your words as reps, your paragraphs as sets, your pages as daily workouts….
2. Don’t Procrastinate …Well, it’s time to look procrastination in the eye and tell that seafaring wench, “Sorry not today, today I write.”
3. Fight Through Writer’s Block …Whatever you choose to call it, staring into the abyss in search of an idea can be terrifying. But ask yourself this; was Picasso intimidated by the blank canvas?…
4. Learn from the Masters Mark Twain once said, “Show, don’t tell.” This is an incredibly important lesson for writers to remember; never get such a giant head that you feel entitled to throw around obscure phrases like “Show, don’t tell.”….
5. Find Your Muse …Just be patient in your search, because the right muse/human relationship can last a lifetime.
6. Hone Your Craft …Perhaps George Bernard Shaw said it best when upon sending a letter to a close friend, he wrote, “I’m sorry this letter is so long, I didn’t have time to make it shorter.”…
7. Ask for Feedback …Remember, the only kind of criticism that doesn’t make you a better writer is dishonest criticism…
8. Read, Read, Read It’s no secret that great writers are great readers, and that if you can’t read, your writing will often suffer…
9. Study the Rules, then Break Them Part of finding your own voice as a writer is finding your own grammar…
10. Keep it Together …So treat your demons with the respect they deserve, and with enough prescriptions to keep you wearing pants.
Read the full descriptions by Colin Colin Nissan, here.
