2019 was a fairly challenging year, but every obstacle is a lesson. Below are some lessons I’ve picked up over the course of the year.
1. Health is paramount
Hours of working at a computer has led to myriad problems with my back and neck; old problems with my right shoulder and right wrist have also resurfaced. I keep my stretch bands in my office so I can do short exercises whenever I feel restless or uncomfortable. I also do stretching exercises for my arms, hands and wrists. More importantly, I have regular sessions with a chiropractor. Taking care of my body helps me write with more focus and for longer. It’s a simple lesson, but so often overlooked.
2. Writing as a discipline
Some call it a routine. I prefer to think of it as a
discipline—something that provides mental or physical training. Writing
for me is a consistent, daily practice, undertaken to improve my skill.
It goes beyond the physical act; it involves thinking and learning about
writing from experts and the masters. I write mornings and evenings,
reserving my afternoons for errands and chores. I make it a point to
read articles and books on various topics outside of the genre I write.
Finding my personal writing discipline has taken time and dedication,
but I think I am a better writer for it.
3. Distract wisely
My experience has taught me that I cannot multitask. It is tempting
to play games or turn on Netflix to unwind; the only problem is, it is
easy to lose track of time. What works for me is having pro wrestling on
while I write. This works well on days when I have zero motivation when
I can ‘tune’ into the high energy and intensity of pro wrestling.
Having the right distraction really helps with my overall productivity.
4. Try something new
What happens when you feel stuck in the same old patterns? This
happened to me late last year and again this year. My debut novel is a
fantasy and queer romance, set in a time that’s reminiscent of the
Middle Ages or thereabouts. However, for all that I want to continue
with the sequel, I kept running into walls. In frustration, I decided to
try my hand at a different genre. I ended up with an urban fantasy
world that I really like, and also expanded my range of character
voices. The experiments allowed me to breathe more energy into the novel
I am writing by imbuing my protagonists with more agency. By trying out
something new and different, I notice the tropes, conventions and
clichés I’ve been relying on to make my characters interesting. Going
into a different setting and time period forced me to look at how I
define my characters’ motivations more closely, and reexamined the ones
in my sequel to see what they really want. The word ‘novel’ has its
roots in the Latin novella, meaning ‘new things’. It’s something I will keep in mind whenever I begin to feel stagnant.
5. Write with a partner
At the start of 2019, I began writing with a friend. It has been fun and refreshing; our styles gel seamlessly, and when we have the time to write together, it’s almost like a dance between us as we craft our story. First we read short pieces of each other’s writing in the same fandoms. Then we befriended each other over social media and started sharing ideas. In our private chats, we discuss characters and how they relate to one another, thereby discovering that we have very similar interpretations of them. Other than these discussions, we sometimes roleplay as the characters in various, ridiculous scenarios, which refines the way we write their dialogue and reactions.
Once we decided to collaborate on a story, we began writing together. I drafted up an outline, we jotted in other possible story beats, and we have been writing together since. Thus far we have only worked with fanfiction, but we are thinking about coming up with a novel together.
While it isn’t always possible to find someone whose style and
frequency mesh almost perfectly with yours, I do believe having a
writing partner gives you greater confidence to explore and experiment. I
used to think that writing has to be a solitary effort, but this entire
year of writing with my partner has taught me the error of my ways.
6. Have your eggs in many baskets
I do believe that focus is essential to finish any project, but when I
face a block, I switch my attention to other minor projects that are at
different stages of completion. By taking my mind off the project I am
stuck in, I not only give my subconscious mind time to work on whatever
problem it is, I also make progress in my other work. Of course, taking
on multiple projects may feel overwhelming, so it really is a matter of
balance and judgement how many you can manage.
7. Be self-indulgent
I used to worry that my characters aren’t ‘realistic’ enough.
Starting this year, however, I decided that my idea of realistic people,
like the ones you might meet at a supermarket or in your workplace,
restricts my writing too much. I want to see middle-aged women kicking
ass and being unapologetic sexual creatures; I want nonbinary and trans
characters taking centre stage and the story isn’t about them struggling
with identity; I want happy endings and dramatic reveals; I want
touching love confessions and steamy sex scenes. I don’t have to be
realistic – I can write what makes me happy, and given that there are so
many readers in the world, someone else would like what I write too.
8. Why not now?
One thing I’ve learned this year is to examine my plots and character
relationships closely by asking, “Why not now?” Why can’t the lovers be
together now? Why can’t my protagonist achieve her aims now? Why can’t
the antagonist destroy the heroes now? If my answer is, “because the
plot needs them to do this”, then I need to rethink my plot. Asking
myself these questions has helped me tighten up my plots as well as
character motivations.
9. Strengths are weaknesses
A strong character’s greatest weakness can stem from their greatest
strength. For instance, MCU’s Iron Man, aka Tony Stark’s greatest
strength is his intelligence and ingenuity. His intelligence is superior
to most people he comes into contact with, and that leads to an
arrogance where he thinks he knows better. This connection between the
strength and weakness was a revelation to me. Now I am more conscious
when it comes to designing my characters and understanding their
motivations.
10. Know when to fold
Sometimes a story hits a wall. I am a stubborn person, and I like to
believe I can complete any story, but this year, I have given myself
permission to let go of stories (in whole or part) that are no longer
working. I’ve not deleted them, but right now they are all in cold
storage, until I can find some use for them.
11. Feelings are universal
The experiences I put my characters through may not be commonplace, but their feelings will resonate with my readers if the emotions are sincere and genuine. I want my readers to empathise with the characters. It is tempting to merely narrate the events, but what separates a synopsis from a story is, in my opinion, the thoughts and feelings of various characters. And to be able to write from multiple perspectives, to feel the way they might feel, we have to be the first to empathise with our characters, heroes and villains alike. To build empathy requires vulnerability and openness. If I can convey my character’s feelings to my readers so that, for that moment, they recognise the humanity in someone other than themselves, then I count it a success.
12. Even Ten Words
Some days the words just refuse to come. For instance, this article took me a week, even though I knew what I wanted to write. At such times, I have to keep repeating to myself: “Even ten words”. When I was working full time, I had little energy, physical or mental, to write anything. Ten words at a time may not seem like much, but every time I go into my document, I write at least ten words. Regardless of how bad a day is or how frustrated I am, I can come up with ten words. Ten is a very low number to shoot for, sometimes not even the length of a sentence, but because the target is so low, I don’t feel terrible when I don’t hit fifty or a hundred words a day, and I keep my momentum, which is essential to any writing project.
So there you have it: the 12 things I learned about writing in 2019. I hope some of these might come in handy for you too.