This is such good advice, ironically, advice about writing to take less advice about writing, but that is exactly what so many people need.
I read very little on Substack these days, because so little of what is on Substack is worth reading. It is just keyboard vomit. People writing for the sake of writing, instead of having something to write. Worst of all are the writing prompts. Just stop them, they are writing junk. Prompts are for Ai or for writing sprints in writing groups. If you want to write stuff, itching to find something to bash into your keyboard, just stop, go and read a book instead. Nobody cares if you tap out 2000 words based on a mythical sock that is found by a hat seller by a church gate, just stop it. If you are that bored, go and read a book. You will learn a lot more than by writing yet more of the same drivel into Substack because somebody posted up a writing prompt.
Reading far too much advice about writing destroys your ability to write. You start to write to the rules instead of telling a story. One of the worst offenders is the first-line hook. Make sure you grab the reader's attention with the first line, dreadful advice that results in some of the worst writing you can imagine. Would you want to read something that starts with a sentence that has so much description forced into it that you have forgotten the beginning by the time you get to the end? No, you wouldn't, so why write like that?
Don't even get me started on structure. In the third chapter, which will be 3000 words, split into three scenes, with the main character...
Aaaggghhh!
Just tell the bloody story. Do you even have a story?
You can pretty it up later, but for the sake of all that's holy, people ultimately want to read a story. They do not pick up a book hoping it will have a good structure, they hope it will tell a good story.
So yes, you are so right. Writers need to read, and writers need to write, and the more time they spend reading, studying, and perfecting writing advice, the less time they spend doing either of those two much more important things.
So true about the writing advice. I'll watch one "how to write" video then, "Oh, this one looks good," and so on and so on until I'm 10 videos deep with all different advice 😂 BTW, none of them will have mentioned how important reading is for learning what good writing looks like
This is such good advice, ironically, advice about writing to take less advice about writing, but that is exactly what so many people need.
I read very little on Substack these days, because so little of what is on Substack is worth reading. It is just keyboard vomit. People writing for the sake of writing, instead of having something to write. Worst of all are the writing prompts. Just stop them, they are writing junk. Prompts are for Ai or for writing sprints in writing groups. If you want to write stuff, itching to find something to bash into your keyboard, just stop, go and read a book instead. Nobody cares if you tap out 2000 words based on a mythical sock that is found by a hat seller by a church gate, just stop it. If you are that bored, go and read a book. You will learn a lot more than by writing yet more of the same drivel into Substack because somebody posted up a writing prompt.
Reading far too much advice about writing destroys your ability to write. You start to write to the rules instead of telling a story. One of the worst offenders is the first-line hook. Make sure you grab the reader's attention with the first line, dreadful advice that results in some of the worst writing you can imagine. Would you want to read something that starts with a sentence that has so much description forced into it that you have forgotten the beginning by the time you get to the end? No, you wouldn't, so why write like that?
Don't even get me started on structure. In the third chapter, which will be 3000 words, split into three scenes, with the main character...
Aaaggghhh!
Just tell the bloody story. Do you even have a story?
You can pretty it up later, but for the sake of all that's holy, people ultimately want to read a story. They do not pick up a book hoping it will have a good structure, they hope it will tell a good story.
So yes, you are so right. Writers need to read, and writers need to write, and the more time they spend reading, studying, and perfecting writing advice, the less time they spend doing either of those two much more important things.
It was worth uploading that post just to get an NC rant. ☺️
I do have rather extreme opinions on the destruction of storytelling by adherence to writing structures.
Yes and more of us should share those opinions!
So true about the writing advice. I'll watch one "how to write" video then, "Oh, this one looks good," and so on and so on until I'm 10 videos deep with all different advice 😂 BTW, none of them will have mentioned how important reading is for learning what good writing looks like
Haha! I can relate to that, Kelly!