GUEST POST: Sadie Chelsea ‘Two Simple Rules for Bettering Your Writing Life’

Today is extra special for us because we have a guest writing the post for you. Please welcome Sadie Chelsea from Pick Up The Pen! She’ll be sharing with you two super simple rules to help better your writing life (and, hey, maybe even life in general). Here we go!

Two Simple Rules for Bettering Your Writing Life

Writers are everywhere now, along with writing advice. This is great news! Especially considering what a bad rap the writing lifestyle got in the earlier days. However, because of all the writing craft information out there, it’s easy to get overwhelmed in the writing world.

Fear not reader! Though there’s crazy amounts of advice out there (like cut out the adverbs, keep writing and submitting, connect with other writers, write every day, don’t burn out, blah, blah and more blah), I’m here to simplify things for you. Because, ultimately, it comes down to just two simple rules.

1 There is no “should” in art.

Recently, I had a Jane Doe ask me how many pages she should be editing per day. Or should she even be editing by pages? Would it be better to do it by the number of words? She needed to know because editing twenty pages a day (previous advice she’d gotten) was burning her out.

Here’s the biggest hitch in this question: should.

We constantly think that there is a right and wrong answer. (Thanks school and A to F grading system!) And, sure, when it comes to math and tests, there are “correct” and “incorrect” answers. But when it comes to creativity, to art, to writing, to any emotional, heartfelt craft, it’s all about the feelings. And when it comes to feelings, there is no right or wrong answer. It’s just about how you feel.

So, how did I answer Jane Doe’s question? I told her (and this word is key), for me – personally – I prefer to set a timer. I try to get in ten minutes a day, whether it be writing or editing. If my schedule is more open, I set it to thirty minutes or an hour. Even when my schedule isn’t free, if I’m just not feeling it, I set it to ten minutes. I work until the timer is up. And, that’s it. But, again, this is just me. And it has taken me years of trial and error to figure out that this set up works best for my writing lifestyle.

Funny enough, she thought it a great idea and set out to try it herself. Turns out it’s helping her big time and preventing her burn out. But the main point is she originally thought she should write and edit a certain way.

Writing is an art, and there is no “should” in art.

When we put “should” on ourselves, we limit our abilities and freedom to express. We cage ourselves from trying something new or block ourselves from discovering what works best for our creative expression.

I encourage you to experiment with different techniques when you have questions like this. Even when you’ve been told “no, that’s not right,” if you feel it works for you, go for it. The opposite is true, too. If you’re following advice that is burning you out or making you feel some type of non-awesome say, and you know it’s not working out for you, don’t continue on just because you think you should. Cut it out and try something else. Do some research, reach out to a fellow writer, ask for new ways to tackle your dilemma.

No matter what you try, just make sure it feels right for you. Your writing life is yours to control.

And this, brings us to our next bit . . .

2  Do what works best for you

I really want to drive this point home because it’s something that takes practice. Throughout childhood and adult life, we’ve been primed to do what we’re told, to follow the beaten path, to succeed the way everyone expects us to. But creativity and writing isn’t about beating down an old path; it’s about expressing yourself. And there is only one you after all.

In the history of all eternity, there will never be an exact replica of you (even if you are a twin). You have been shaped by biology, by experiences, by habits, and social settings to become who you are. And since you are so incredibly darn unique, no one can feel or think the way you can. No one can write exactly like you do. So, if you are so unique, how can you write using advice from others who are not you? Better yet, how can you live according to the advice from others who are not you?

Only you know what is best for you.

So, no matter how you write, when you write, what you write, go about it in your unique and darn tootin’ special way. You know best, after all.

The Ultimate Takeaway:

Of course, we don’t want this to be just another post you read and forget. So, let’s break it down into three easy to remember steps you can apply in your everyday life. Ready? Okay!

1.      Free yourself from terms like “should.”

2.      Be brave and experiment.

3.      Do what you feel is right for you.

a. Tip: go with your gut and heart feeling. It knows more than you think.

Tell us in the comments below: What creative rule do you keep by your side to better your writing life?

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And, if you liked this post, come check out some more good writing juju with Sadie Chelsea at thehonestwriter.org