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Neil Gaiman On Writing Tips

Kyle-cassidy-neil-gaiman-April-2013

  1. Write.
  2. Put one word after another. Find the right word, put it down.
  3. Finish what you’re writing. Whatever you have to do to finish it, finish it.
  4. Put it aside. Read it pretending you’ve never read it before. Show it to friends whose opinion you respect and who like the kind of thing that this is.
  5. Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.
  6. Fix it. Remember that, sooner or later, before it ever reaches perfection, you will have to let it go and move on and start to write the next thing. Perfection is like chasing the horizon. Keep moving.
  7. Laugh at your own jokes.
  8. The main rule of writing is that if you do it with enough assurance and confidence, you’re allowed to do whatever you like. (That may be a rule for life as well as for writing. But it’s definitely true for writing.) So write your story as it needs to be written. Write it ­honestly, and tell it as best you can. I’m not sure that there are any other rules. Not ones that matter.

10 Comments

  • Maury Cheskes

    Great points. I totally agree that after starting a written piece, you should finish it. That discipline is so crucial if you want to write professionally. I also think breaking down your ideas into blocks before writing makes the whole process less daunting and much smoother.

  • Miaka Yuuki

    I am a rookie writer on the side so I can definitely use this to hone my style. I write out of hobby but never the less thanks.

  • Rizzee Cerdeñola

    Perfection is like chasing horizon indeed. I write just to express what I feel but after reading this article, my writing would be to the next level.

  • brainedet

    What’s else makes life better than laughing at one’s jokes. I tell myself life isn’t that serious and I laugh at my own jokes.

  • Consolata

    Good tips to break the mind-block especially when starting to write. Its like i just dont where to start. But now i know, one word after the other.

  • Rae

    Thank you for sharing these wonderful tips! I agree with the “Laugh at your own jokes.” tip. It really helps you write despite what you think. For me, I’ve been doing it like that for the past couple of years.

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