I’m obsessed with finding out how my favourite writers produced their masterpieces.
Whether it be how Sylvia Plath crafted her most emotionally rich poems after undergoing electroshock therapy or how the plot of Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis came to him while dozing in bed, I’m intrigued by the ingredients that came together to create some of the greatest literary works in history.
Even if you write in your journal for fun as part of your nightly routine or are a serious writer who owns every type of pen, we can all borrow a few tips from our fellow writers.
Ernest Hemingway — don’t burn yourself out
Ernest Hemingway stressed the importance of putting down the pen when you have good momentum, taking a breather, and coming back to your work the next day — or maybe even another week. Essentially, what Hemingway meant was that if we never turn off our brains and force ourselves to reach a certain word count, the creative spark inside of us will eventually die.
“Always stop while you are going good and don’t worry about it until you start to write the next day. That way your subconscious will work on it all the time. But if you think about it consciously or worry about it you will kill it and your brain will be tired before you start.”
Ernest Hemingway
Maya angelou — be the best you can possibly be at your craft
I Know Why The Caged Birds Sing author Maya Angelou emphasized tapping into our creative potential and using our gifts to the fullest. Angelou also spent much of her career trying to learn the craft of writing as well as she could, such as understanding the power of language and using it to convey powerful emotions.
“I believe talent is like electricity … You can plug into it and light up a lamp, keep a heart pump going, light a cathedral, or you can electrocute a person with it. Electricity will do all that. It makes no judgment. I think talent is like that. I believe every person is born with talent.”
Maya Angelou
Stephen King — write for yourself above anything else
The master of horror, author Stephen King, has his fair share of cult classics.
However, King still believes in the importance of prioritizing writing for yourself first. He often focuses on writing his novels as if he is telling himself the story, and during the editing process, he takes out the parts that don’t add to the story.
“First write for yourself, and then worry about the audience.”
Stephen King
Joan Didion — act on your writing ideas, even if they never get published
A prolific writer during the latter half of the 20th century, Joan Didion, published numerous works commenting on the social landscape of the United States.
Didion, although a successful writer, faced many rejections when presenting her story ideas to editors. Her advice is to come up with ideas without thinking about what your editor will say; it’s the writing that’s important, not the publishing.
“I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see and what it means.”
Joan Didion