Writers Unite! PDF v1.0 PDF

With Advice From
Over 200 Tumblr Authors

Compiled By
M. Kirin
Cover Art By
PLAGUESWORTH
WRITERS UNITE!
A compilation of writing advice, tips, and inspiration.

All text copyrights belong to their respective owners.
eBook Copyright M. Kirin, 2014. Cover Art Copyright
PLAGUESWORTH, 2014. All rights reserved. First Edition
Published in the United States, August 2014. The font used for
the title was Newsflash BB Font by Blambot Comic Fonts.
Some of the advice within this book contains harsh
language. Reader discretion is advised.
This eBook was released as a FREE download. If you
purchased this from an online retailer, or online store of any
kind, please send an email to:
mail@mkirin.com
Writers Unite | Page 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page 004
Foreword
Page 005
Inspiration & Motivation
Page 087
Timeless Advice
Page 187
Tips & Tricks
Page 273
Thank You!
Page 274
Who Compiled This Book?
Page 275
Who Made The Cover?
Page 276
Full Index (Sorted Alphabetically)
FOREWORD
When I first made this post, I seriously thought
that I would get a couple dozen replies. Thirty at most.
I was very wrong.
This eBook you are reading was not written by
me it was made by over 200 tumblr authors who all
answered the very same question:
What is the one piece of advice you wish
you wouldve known when you first got
started writing?
You see, I have been running a writing advice
blog for a long while, and sometimes people ask me
questions as though my opinion is the end-all. Of course,
thats not the way writing works. Writing is such a fluid
medium, and everyone has the ability to find a way that
works for them. So, I decided to pose the question above
to all of my writerly friends (yes, you are also included!).
Why is this compilation important? Well, aside
from the fact that it contains 248 legitimately good
pieces of advice, inspiration, and tips this book also
serves as a reminder that every writer, regardless of
age or experience, has the ability to inspire others.
I wanted to make something awesome, and you
all allowed me to do just that. From the bottom of my
heart, thank you.
M. Kirin
001 to 074
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION
The flower that blooms in

adversity is the rarest and
most beautiful of all.
Walt Disneys Mulan
001
another-phoenix
When I first started writing, I wish I

would've known not to take myself too
seriously. As a writer, some days your work
will really, really suck. You have to know it
will get better, and you can't get hung up
on one thing you wrote that you think isn't
good enough. That stops you from creating
the amazing writing you will find in
yourself in the future!
002
apirateslifeistheoneforme
Writing isnt meant to please

everyone else. Its not a job, youre obliged
to do (recreational means, not writing as a
job) or should be something that stresses
you out. When I found myself in that
situation, writing to please others, I began
to hate it. And hating something you love is
the worst feeling in the world. Write to
please yourself first, before it pleases
others. And let the story roll, dont get
caught up on all the small details or what
you dont know yet. Itll come!
003
apocellipsis
I wish someone told me that you

can (and should) write for yourself and
when you do, there are absolutely no rules
to follow, you cant write the wrong way.
004
azulblueblau
I wish I'd known that, a few months

or years after writing something, it's okay
to realize that it's terrible. That even if at
the time you polished something to socalled perfection, someday it'll read like
nails on chalkboard. It's okay; it's a sign of
improvement. What you are writing now is
better than what you've written, and what
you've yet to write will surpass it all.
005
beatsparkthesodapop
Its a beautiful desire, we writers have

as artists, to want to feel like its our
destiny to pen astounding feats of genius.
But calling, or no calling, the real beauty
comes in the toil. That unquenchable
perseverance that sticks it to your
naysayers and most of all, your inner critic,
and proclaims you that will not be
intimidated by the reality of bad first
writes or revision. If you love writing, if
youve always wanted to write, you can do
this! Put in the work, and you will blossom!
006
behind-closed-mirrors
Never compare yourself to other

writers. Everyone has their own unique
voice, talents, and thoughts. Including you!
Don't be afraid to be different.
007
besttardy
I think the biggest advice I wish I had

gotten is to love your writing, for it is you
and it isn't you all at once. Believing in
your writing is to believe in yourself.
008
bibliomatsuri
A few years ago, I joined fanfiction.net. The
websites review system and the feedback I got
from a few intelligent readers and fellow writers
made me want to write more and more, and I
kept writing more and more until I was regularly
churning out sudden fiction on top of a full
course load. I realized that I was getting better
because my older works were really, really bad.
Or painfully mediocre at best.
Without exception, the works I wrote to
please my tiny audience (who to this day Im
certain had only good intentions); I look back at
them from the present day and go, Crap, my
early stuff is crap.
On the other hand, the stories I wrote
not because I wanted to be like my favorite
writers or because I was encouraged by a reader,
but just because I had a neat idea, an image, a
scenario that I needed to see happen so I made it
happen Those are the stories I look back on and
go, 'I could do much better now, but this isnt half
bad. This is actually kind of awesome.'

Dont write by yourself. Being part of a
community has helped me improve by leaps and
bounds.
Write for yourself.
'Write to please just one person. If you
open a window and make love to the world, so to
speak, your story will get pneumonia.' - Kurt
Vonnegut
Write the story you want to no,
you have to read it, you have to see it
happen right now, but you cant find it, so write
it! The rest is just a matter of experience.
So, write.
009
bookishbrandi
Dont worry about being published;

worry about creating a satisfying read. The
path to that is by putting your butt in the
chair every single day and writing!
010
carryonmyfallencas
Find your own voice. It doesnt matter

if you think youre the worst writer ever
every writer has felt that at some point.
Dont try to imitate your favourite authors
style, dont pretend to be anyone else. Just
be yourself, let that get into your writing.
Allow your creativity to speak freely,
nevermind how scared you may be of the
result. In time, you will learn. Youll
improve, and the person you were months
ago would be incredibly proud of the you
from now. So just write. Without worries.
Without allowing anyone to discourage
you. There are many stories that only you
can tell. Never forget that.
011
censored-poet
My best advice would be don't give

up. You can set aside a project, but in six
months, a year, whenever, pick it up again
and try to finish it with your new
experiences on life. No idea is too silly. You
are the only one who can tell that story.
012
chaoticcuriosity
Write whatever you want. Write

wherever your heart takes you.
013
characterandwritinghelp (Headless)
It is ok to suck. You will mess up and

make mistakes, and that is fine.
When I was young, in the days before
readily-accessible word processors and
color printers (eek!), I was afraid to start
because I was afraid of 'doing it wrong, as
if writing was some illustrious craft that
was far out of my childish reach. I had this
idea that all writers were very serious
people who did very serious things, and
every word that came out of their fountain
pens or typewriters or whatever it was
writers used was automatically perfect.
That is so incredibly incorrect, and I
wish someone had helped me realize
sooner how fun writing could be to do
poorly, in the journey to making it good.
014
characterandwritinghelp (Hunter)
Honestly, the biggest piece of advice I wish Id
known/taken to heart when I began writing in earnest is
this: fuck inspiration. Screw the idea that you need to be
inspired to write that waiting for the muse to strike
will do anything except leave you with forty-eight first
chapters of different stories and nothing of substance to
show for it. Because thats what youll get when you wait
for inspiration youll come up with a hundred different
story ideas, and maybe even feel inspired to get a few
chapters in but then the idea for the next story will
come along, and that cycle will repeat forever if you let it.
Heres the thing, and its something thats been
drummed into my head over and over by NaNo write
something every single day. Dont bother worrying about
continuity or consistency that can wait for the
rewrite/editing process. Dont wait for the inspiration to
strike, because its probably not going to, and eventually
your muse will be a convenient but tragic excuse for you
not to be writing at all.
If you feel like anything you write is gonna be shit
cause youre not feeling it? Listen to Headless advice (on
the previous page). Let it be shit. You can worry about
quality once youve got the finished project in front of you
and a few long-suffering but ultimately loving friends
willing to read it and give you feedback. It doesnt matter
how quality that first chapter you write is if you never

make it to the second, let alone the last, you know? So
what if you accidentally changed a secondary characters
name halfway through the first draft someone else will
catch it. You will probably catch it yourself after youve
finished the thing and set it aside for a few weeks, then
attacked it with fresh eyes. But, first, you have got to get
something written.
So fuck inspiration. Screw the muses. (No offense,
guys, youre still awesome in the Greek myths sense.)
Write every single day. That is the only way youll ever
actually get a finished product. You can always edit when
its finished and any editing will actually matter.
015
chrrystal
When I first started writing I wish I

had known not to beat myself up on days I
hadn't written.
016
companionwolf
A piece of advice I wished Id had

been drilled into my head: youre gonna
have bad days, where everything you write
feels like its horrible. And you have to
write through those periods. You have to.
Just keep writing, and then let it sit. Come
back later, and with a clearer head then
youll be able to see what youve written
and pick out the pieces you think are best.
017
dimadothis
The one piece of advice I wish I

would've known when I started writing is
that I'm not going to please everyone with
my writing but to not let that discourage
me.
018
ennuienjoyment
All of the best works started out as a

few lines of text that didn't make sense. It's
easy to get caught up in being as great as
your favorite story, and giving up because
you feel like you'll never be as good. But
every single story started out as terrible
few lines, and then was edited and worked
on and polished until it shined.
019
furynz
Write recklessly! You cant revise

what you havent written!
020
giantnerdbutt
Writing doesn't have limits and you

don't have to play along to majorities. You
write a gay character but your parents
read it and say Just make him
heterosexual"? No. Make that character
what you want. It's always your choice!
021
goingrampant
All stories are good practice. Dont be

afraid to write fanfics or erotic stories that
fulfill simple fantasies. Practice rendering
your vision in writing, and the writing will
get better as you want to express yourself
more and that skill stays with you.
022
howcomplicatedisthat
It's important for a writer to

remember that we are constantly evolving
and getting better with our writing.
023
ianweston57
Just because the first draft sucks

doesnt mean its ruined. Dont delete the
whole thing over a paragraph. Dont be
critical, writing and characters grow as
you do. The more you experience in life the
more detailed your work becomes.
024
i-guess-you-could-say-that
When I first started writing I wish I had

known I didn't need someone else's approval.
In my freshman year of high school I was
published through a college literary
magazine. I thought that their approval was
what made me a good writer; I felt like I
needed someone else to acknowledge my
skills. Two years later and I was in tears when
another colleague absolutely hated one of my
pieces because they didn't like how I ended it.
Not everyone is going to like your work. You
don't need everyone to like your work. If you
truly put your heart and soul into a piece it
sucks when it gets criticized but that's part of
the process. Respect your work and what
you've written. If you think you've written a
damn good piece then be damn proud no
matter what other people say.
025
infinitelyeffervesce
The only advice I can give to writers

is to follow your dreams and not listen and
follow whatever 'rules' people attempt at
shoving down your throat. There is no way
to write something except for one: for
yourself. You might want to write for fame,
for money. But the biggest part is that you
write for YOU. And always, to inspire
yourself, keep reading and keep practicing
different styles of writing. You'll never
know what you might get!
026
jehanettealleyne
I wish I'd known that I would suck. I'd

look back and cringe at what I'd written
and be too embarrassed to show my work
to anyone. But I also wish I'd known that I
would get better that I'd always get
better and that there would be hints of
awesomeness even in the worst parts.
027
jescritora
Dont lose heart.
Dont be defeated if your writing is not very good
(writing more only helps!), or if you hear the common
idea that writing is not the right thing for you to do (if
you believe it is, it is!). If youre stuck on a story, dont give
up on it; listen to epic music or watch a good movie to
inspire you. If you happen to totally lose interest in a
story, though, dont linger on its faults; put it aside and
jump on your next big idea. Write because you want the
story out of your mind. Write what you want to read,
because thats the story that will keep your inspiration
going the one you want to describe in words, the one
you get excited about. If youre excited about it, others
will be, too. And even if theyre not, know that what you
have written is important and completely your own. That
is why you are not a failure and never a failure.
Overall, dont lose heart if theres something
working against it, be it outside circumstances or your
own mind. The thoughts that go against you might be
right, or they might be wrong but either way, youll
eventually find that youve got a damn good story to tell.
028
julian-delphik
I wish someone would have told me

that it is okay to be sloppy, spelled wrong,
grammatically hideous and have my story
all over the place. My first attempts at
creative writing made me despise writing
all together. I dreamed of being like all
those great fiction writers I grew up with
that I convinced myself that they did all of
that with out having to hone their style
and ability. I scared myself into being
overly self conscious and overly selfcritical. The greatest piece of advice I ever
received was not really advice at all, it was
a realization that all my favorite writers
all started where I am. Dont deceive
yourself into thinking great writers get it
right the first time every time.
029
just8-bit
Its okay to write terribly, because

thatll happen. Dont beat yourself up for
writing trash. Just keep at it, because no
matter what, youre writing.
030
kanohizatth
Your story matters. Whether it's

poetry, a short story, a long epic, what you
want to say has importance. If you've felt
your life is boring and uneventful, that's a
lie. If you've second-guessed yourself about
an idea that interested and excited you,
don't. You matter, and your stories matter.
031
kazechama
If you pour your heart and put it out

for people to read and you don't get
responses, it doesn't mean your work was
bad. Sometimes people are too busy to
react or have other reasons for not
reaching back to you. Lack of feedback
doesn't equate bad work.
032
klawziereblogs
Dont wait until youre older to write.
Write.
Dont worry about not having life experience.
Dont worry about needing to know more.
Write. Get it all out.
Write so that you can learn how to tell the stories
you tell. Write so you learn how to finish a story. Write so
it can become a habit. Write so that when you look back
and are mortified of your first efforts, youve got them
over with sooner so you can write about the things youll
be proud of. Write knowing that what youre proud of
now might be something youre mortified of later - and
that thats okay.
Just write. Give yourself permission to write
anything you want. Give yourself permission to write
trashy romance, absolute melodrama, and every trope
that ever made someone roll their eyes. Just write,
because you know that doing so gives you experience with
writing and learning how to use these tools and how to
later use these things to make the person who would
normally roll their eyes decide that youre the most clever
[expletive] around.
033
knightofsuperior
Sometimes, youll write things you feel are shit.
And thats ok. Whats not ok is acting like that shit did
nothing for you in the long run.
I used to write awful, painfully amateur fanfiction.
I used to role-play terrible, one-dimensional characters. I
used to write scripts that I thought were really witty and
clever, but in hindsight were just clich-ridden hack jobs.
And thats perfectly fine.
No one starts out as the greatest writer of all time.
You have to work your way up from the bottom, and the
bottom sometimes involves bad grammar, shoddy
storytelling, and characters that are so flat you could put
them between two pieces of bread and call them a
sandwich.
As you continue up the ladder, youll learn more
and more about what your writing style is, and how you
can mold and shape it into something both quality in
terms of content and grammar. You improve everyone
does, given time and effort.
You can be embarrassed about your old work.
Thats inevitable and understandable. You can try to push
it as far out of mind as possible, and try to focus attention
onto your later, better work. Thats understandable as
well. But never try to deny that what you did, whether it
was a shitty story you wrote when you were 8 or a lousy
webcomic you made when you were 20, didnt make an

impact. Dont pretend that they didnt get you to where
you are in some way, shape or form.
Dont reject the past. Its always gonna be there.
Just acknowledge it, and learn from it. Youll be all the
better for it.
034
luna3141
One thing I wish I had known when I

first started writing is that there's no rush
to be good. You're not supposed to
understand every little piece of writing
technique ever, let alone when you start
out. So don't stress it. Just keep practicing
and try to find things in your writing that
you're proud of. Nothing moves you
forward like being able to see the positives.
035
makayladeanblog
For me, the best piece of advice was a

quote by Matthew Reilly, given to me by a
writing teacher: "There is no such thing as
an aspiring writer. You are a writer.
Period.
036
meganeburhapsody
When I first started writing, I wish

someone would have told me that you will
improve if you keep trying. I look back at
my first piece of fanfiction that, yes, still
can be found online, and realize Ive come
so far. I kept writing daily, posting things
for feedback, and eventually came to now,
where Ive written papers published in
journals and am working towards even
greater things. I dont worry about
failure.' I know that I can only get better,
and so can you.
037
mugiwaranomaxi
I wish I wouldve known that age

doesnt matter. I wouldve started
writing way earlier and now its just been 2
years and that keeps surprising me.
038
nayapearlie
No matter how sad Ill be, writing will

always be my way out.
039
never-touch-my-writing-pen
The one thing I wish someone had told me when I
first started writing is that the office of writing, like good
wine, takes time to develop body, taste, and quality. When
I started writing I was fourteen and I had this shapeless
image in my mind, a story, that seemed so epic and
exciting in my head that I could never do it justice when I
put it on paper. I was frustrated with myself because
How come J.K. Rowling could do it?, How come Rick
Riordan could do it?, How come everyone but me can do
it?
Well, at age fourteen, its practically a miracle
that youre even able to write the first couple chapters of
a novel. Asking to become a best-seller overnight was
simply outrageous. But I kept working at it. For seven
years Ive kept working at it, and let me tell you, patience
does have its rewards. Because at the end of the day, you
recognize the low quality of your work because you have
good taste. But you must keep writing no matter how
hideous it seems. You can edit typos, weird sentences,
cheesy dialogues. You can edit inexperience, improve
upon it. But like Nora Roberts and Jodi Picoult say, you
can never edit a blank page. So write. Write even when it
hurts, write when its not easy. Write because there is no
other way to learn to write, to be great at it, than by
doing it.
040
nex-umbra
I think the thing I would have liked to

have know when I started writing is that
writing can be incredibly hard, but the
satisfaction on a persons face when they
connect to your words and find meanings
you didnt even know were there, makes it
absolutely worth every second.
041
nibimatatabi
No matter how hard it seems, you

have to keep writing. The story will lead
you, the characters will pull you you can
ALWAYS write another word, another
sentence, another paragraph, another
page, another chapter.
042
notenufcaffeine
I wish I had known that the impossible,

crazy, weird ideas of things I always wanted
to write about were actually possible and not
that weird. I spent years hiding my work for
being stupid and not good enough. Maybe
that was true. But mostly it was just in the
approach. When I looked at the weird ideas
and wonder How do I explain this? How do I
make this actually possible? I was able to
convey the crazy in a fun and interesting and
believable way instead of something
laughable. Its research and imagination
working together and not constraining myself
to one or the other only, which seems common
sense but is actually hard. You get caught up
and start playing director to your own work
instead of just rolling with the ideas that
result. Write, write, write, and then make it
work. Not the other way around!
043
octcade
The first draft doesnt need to be

good. Hell, it doesnt even need to make
sense. Just let things happen. You can
figure out what actually goes on later on.
Get the words out. Get a feeling for the
storys flow. Have fun.
044
ofbirdsandstars
No matter how brilliantly something

is written, there will always be people who
negatively criticize it. They are going to
point out every minuscule detail that they
deem unnecessary or out of context, but
you cannot let them get to you. You have to
write for the people who enjoy your work
and want to see you improve, and most
importantly, you have to write for yourself.
045
ofpagesandink
Writing isnt as easy as it seems and

you really have to work at it to perfect your
work. It takes a lot of work and sometimes
you second guess everything you write.
sometimes its ok, but something every
writer needs to remember, is to not stress
about it. If youre feeling stuck, take a
break and listen to music or read a book or
just dont do anything at all. Ive gotten
many of my story ideas before bed, when I
wake up (fresh out of dream state), or just
looking around in my life. I make up
backstories for strangers and come up with
short stories that explain the origins of
song titles (fiction of course) and a way to
exercise and perfect character and story
plots and plot twists. so, if you start to get
frustrated, take a break.
046
onceuponafreakintime
I wish I'd realized from the very start

that I didn't have to write to please anyone.
My horror fantasy series originally started
off as a really lame ghost story my aunt
told me to write.
047
onelastlookatthesun
Write what you enjoy and not what

you think will make you popular,
popularity won't help you finish something
at one in the morning, enjoyment will.
Enjoyment will keep you awake until one in
the morning in the first place.
048
ookamiblitz
Ill throw my hat into the ring.
I know Ive said it a thousand ways a thousand
times, but I think one of the most crucial things a
beginning writer needs to realize or learn is to not
get caught up in whether your ideas are good, or
particularly if theyre original. Were hard on
ourselves. Weve all got these crazy-awesome ideas,
but there always seems to be a little voice in the back
of our heads saying, Nope, dont do that. Its not x, y,
or z enough. People wont like this story. Its too
similar to that other story.
Well, you know what? If you come up with an
idea and fall head-over-heels-butt-crazy-in-love with
it, you write that story and you tell that little voice to
shut the fuck up. I think about all of these AMAZING
stories that never get written because their parents
were unsure if they were going to be good or not and
I get a little sad. YOUR STORY IS AWESOME
BECAUSE IT IS YOUR STORY, and yeah, sometimes
they dont turn out so great, but youll never know
until you write it!
049
princemordreds
When I first got started writing, I wish I had
known that original doesnt mean 'original.' I wish
someone told me that nothing is original and I just
have to tell the story that I want to hear. I spent
hours just sitting around waiting for inspiration,
waiting for that heavenly call as angels descended
and gave me The Most Original Idea Ever but that
never happened.
I wasted years, I tell you. I waited for
something that never happened, threw away good
ideas because they werent original enough. I began
to fall out of love with writing and I just want to
throw my head against a soft pillow and muffle
whiny words into it when I think about it.
Your story IS original because you are the only
one who can write it. I dont care if its the twenty-thousandth retelling of Cinderella, it is original
because you wrote it. I wish someone told me that.
Im a stronger writer because of it. Once I learned it
and got it through my head to not be afraid of my
ideas, I began to write.
I mean once I learned that my ideas are good
(and that waiting around for inspiration is the
biggest dumb move any writer can make because

inspiration doesnt wait, it hides, you have to go and
find it). Even if it was another retelling or a side view
on a topic, or a take I wanted to explore in a topic, I
began to love writing again.
050
puffingirl
The tip I wish I had at the very

beginningor half way through at least:
Dont be scared to use your own language.'
Meaning: you dont have to write like
Shakespeare, or Hemingway, or Tolkien, or
King, or any of the great respected ones in
order to be entitled to write. To me this
realization came years and years after
feeling blocked and unworthy because Id
once been told: Why do you want to write,
its not like you are going to be a
Strindberg (famous serious Swedish
writer) anyway by my stepfather, of all
people. I have not been published yet but
now I have at least one finished, and one
half finished book, under my belt so to
speak. And now, when people ask me what
I Do I say Im a writer.
051
rosainverno
Tell your story in your way. Dont

worry about trying to sell it or what other
people like. Too often Im worried that Im
not funny enough or serious enough."
But you cant think about that. You cant
think about anything but telling the story
that you want to tell.
052
sernacht
Remember that you're writing for a

reason, and it's that reason that keeps you
going. Whatever it is, let it propel you
forward through the hard journey of
creation and life, because that's what
writing is.
053
serroost
Theres probably a lot of things I

shouldve heard as a kid, but this, I think, is
the most important one: please do not let
the block stop you. You might feel like you
cant write more, but you can. Just keep
going, write another scene, do a surprise
twist or whatever, but never, ever put your
work that you greatly love aside, because,
trust me, odds are you wont be going back
to it. Chances are, youll think: maybe
tomorrow, or I dont feel like writing, I got
stuck the last time I did. Miracles dont just
happen by themselves, you need to make
them for them to come true, so keep going
and remember to enjoy!
054
silvertsubasa
It's ok to be yourself and to go at your

own pace.
055
smoke-bomb
Not everyone will like your stories, or

the type of stories you write. And that's OK,
because for every person who doesn't like
your story, there's someone who does.
056
sorrowlicher
I wish I hadnt been so ashamed of my

passion to write. I mean, Ive loved writing
from a young age, but I was so afraid
people would laugh at me that I didnt
properly write until I was, what, 14, and
even then I kept it a secret for a couple
more years.
Dont.
Be proud of your identity as a writer.
I wasted so many years on just thinking
about writing but not actually doing it.
057
spektors-story
I wish Id known to share my own

work with others. Feedback is so
important even if its from your parents
or a friend. Dont keep that story locked
away in the deepest cellar of your mind,
consider sharing it with a friend or family
member, or even post it online for others to
see. Just remember: You never know until
you try. I have written two novels, and the
only reason for that is because I shared the
first chapter with my mother last year
something
I
would
never
have
even dreamed of. After she read it, she
encouraged me to continue writing the
story. And I did. All 80,000 words of it
because my mom told me I should write it.
058
star-bae
This is probably going to be a really common
theme, but the most important thing I need to tell myself
is to write.
It doesnt matter if you dont have the whole story
in your head yet. It doesnt matter if you dont have a
story at all. It doesnt matter if you dont have a spark of
inspiration guiding you or a fully fleshed out character or
concept.
I started out writing poetry, just letting what I
needed to say come out of me however it wanted to. And
then in college I started writing for the paper, where I
had deadlines and a specific form to follow. I found that I
could have a solid voice in both, from just a bolt of
inspiration or under the pressure.
Now Im trying to write my own fiction instead of
something in the moment or for an assignment, and some
of the roadblocks I keep hitting are being intimidated by
my idea and feeling uninspired.
First of all, I get the feeling that I dont have the
skills or the experience to wrestle a huge concept onto the
page. That Im not going to do the story justice, that I
dont have enough information to start writing, that I
need to do this or that before Ill allow myself to put
anything down for real. And thats bullshit. Its going to
be terrible because rough drafts are terrible. With a big
concept, the plot is going to be messy and the characters

are going to seem flat at first. Then Ill have to fix it. If I
was starting with characters, theyd come off as trope-y
or confusing at first, and the plot would be too simple or
too predictable. And then Id have to fix it. You have to
write with what youve got and let the writing guide you
to the parts you havent figured out yet.
Secondly, inspiration and creativity are not the
same thing. Inspiration and creativity are not the same
thing. You can be struck with the coolest idea in the
world, but its never going to be perfect. Inspiration in
just the spark, you have to pile on the wood to make a
fire. Creativity is work, hard work. With my current
project, the difficulty is in motivating myself. Im not
working from pure inspiration like I do with poetry, or
under specific guidelines like I do with journalism. This is
something Im doing because I want to, because I think
its a good story that should be told. If youre writing from
that place, not because youre in the heat of the moment
or you need the paycheck, but because you have a story
you want to tell, you have to harness that as your
motivation. Inspiration is effortless, creativity is work.
You have to write anyway.
059
tamoranix
Write when its boring. Write when

you don't have any idea of what's coming
next. Write when you don't think you can
anymore, because even when you're so
frustrated you could tear your hair out,
writing will be the one of greatest things
you ever do.
060
tarzaness
'Have fun. I started to focus on trying

to please and impress people with my
writing. Soon it backfired as I lost my will
to write anything at all and I ended up
dropping everything. After getting back
into it one and half years later, I focused on
having fun and I love writing again.
061
teenage-reckage
Never doubt yourself, never ever give

in to please others. What you write is a
work of art, a small piece of yourself
written in the form of words and underlaced with emotion. People come and go as
they please, willing themselves to be bound
to your soul for a short while, while you are
beneficial to them. Eat your words whole
and let them spill down the page, write
your heart into every paragraph and your
soul into every chapter. Spend hours
staring at a screen just to find a muse, its
about quality, not quantity.
062
thedevilknowsmyname
I started to write when I was about 12 and I
sucked. I looked back at everything I did and I
realized how bad it was, but I was twelve. So it was
acceptable because I was just learning everything.
Then when I was fourteen or fifteen I really started to
write and post fanfictions, and they were bad as well.
Now I am sixteen and I have improved a lot. I
remember looking back at my older works, after I
finished them, and thinking, Wow! These are master
pieces. No, they werent. I did not use any
punctuation at all! I barely used periods, commas, or
semicolons. And now that I look over it, I keep
wondering what the hell I was thinking. But the truth
is that I was just bad, and I simply got better. Over
time you develop your skills no matter how long or
how short a time it takes you to do that. You will get
better! If I compare my works now, you would
wonder if they were two different writers, and
essentially it is two different writers. That is because
over time you dont just develop skills but yourself as
well. You put yourself and your being into writing.
From when I was twelve-fifteen I was a completely
different person. Today I am not the same person I
was a couple years back, and that shows immensely

in the way I write. You grow with your writing and it
is an amazing experience. The last thing I would say
to myself is that if you start writing, you cant give
up. Once you finish that work that you have been
grueling over for so many hours and people love it,
that is the best feeling ever! If you start, DO NOT
STOP!
063
thegameissomethingoron
Every novel is your child. Eventually,

it will grow up and you'll have to let it go.
Try to finish your story, try to give your
child the best you can... before it will go
away from its home, your mind.
064
thewriterwhofangirls
It's okay to suck and want to give up,

because a writer isn't the person who
writes the best most original material all
the time. A writer is the person who doesn't
stop trying to tell their story even when
everything goes wrong.
065
thingstobedecided
Never throw away ideas. Todays

scrap can be tomorrows masterpiece.
066
titania522
Do it!!!!
067
trisandfour4evr
You can always improve your writing

and every story is worth telling whether it
is basic or super complex.
068
vantastic-moose
You can write what you want and it

doesn't have to be perfect' as long as you
enjoy writing it. It can have as many
mistakes as it can hold as long as you
love doing it because then it has a little bit
of you in it. Something that you hated to
write wont.
069
vivalaevil
Do it for yourself. There will always

be someone who tells you to stop, who
doesnt understand what its like to write,
who expects you to write that novel in a
month and publish it immediately so you
can become successful' and make money
for it dont listen to this. It will kill you. It
will kill your words, stifle them, and lock
them away in some unknown place that
you may never find ever again. As hard as
it will be, you have to do it for yourself:
because you and your words are worth it.
070
vladimir-gluten
There are going to be poorly made

characters and flimsy plots and terrible
unfortunate implications in your work that
you might not recognize until its too late.
But its also important to remember that
theyre not failures unless you dont learn
from them.
071
watchourstars
What do I wish I would have known when I first
got started writing? Hm. Theres an entire galaxy of
answers out there. Millions of constellations of brain
synapses that I still have to connect inside my skull about
what it even means to write. But the biggest piece of
advice I can think of at this moment?
Hey there, Younger Me.
Dont be afraid.
I know that fear, of what others will think. Of not
being good enough. Of putting something out there and
being shot down. The hesitation before you begin on a
blank MS Word page. That little voice in the back of your
head saying you cant do it. Younger Me, take all that
fear, all that anxiety, and just. Burn. It.
Send it up in smoke.
Make a bonfire.
Dance on its ashes.
Do whatever you have to do.
There is such great potential in you, Younger Me.
There is such great potential in every single human being
on this little blue planet, and fear is what will hold us all
back if we let it. But thats the important part, isnt it?
Being afraid is a tango, and it takes two to perform that
dance. In order to be afraid, you have to let yourself feel
that fear. So dont. Its as simple as that. Its okay to get
jitters or nerves about what you are writing. But not to

delete your work because you are afraid of the outcome.
Its okay to change your writing style in order to make
yourself better, but not to ever become something other
than what you really are.
Younger Me, Older You is a flawed person. He has
so many holes in his writing technique that frankly, it
looks like a block of swiss cheese. And while Im not proud
about the way I write sometimes, Im not afraid to admit
it, either. Im not afraid to ask for help. Im not afraid to
show my work to others and take whatever criticism they
can throw at me. If youre afraid to ask for help, than how
will you ever grow? You are one of the 7.2 billion humans
alive in this exact moment, and all of them will have
something to say about what you do, but only if you
arent afraid to let them.
So if your fear is still intact, if its still poisoning
your ability to sit your butt down and spew out the world
that lives inside your head, it had better begin packing.
And once its gone, dont you ever let it come back,
because it will take every chance it can get to do so.
Be vigilant, Younger Me. Be vigilant, fellow
writers.
And do not be afraid.
072
writinginvariance
'Theres no such thing as a truly

original story.' I spent too much time
fretting over the similarities my stories had
with other stories until it finally sunk in
that its okay that the stories I write have
things in common with other stories, just
as long as Im not actually plagiarizing. Its
okay to draw inspiration from other
sources. Its okay to take ideas you really
like and make them your own. Because
honestly, when you take the time to refine
a rough idea, it will become truly your own.
Dont be afraid to start with a knockoff or
a fanfic just keep working at it, because
it has the potential to be amazing. It wont
ever truly be original, because nothing is,
but it will be yours, it will be
something you wrote.
073
xerxania
My only advice would have to be not

to just stop, if youre in the middle of a
novel, finish it even if you dont know
where its going, or you think its ending
badly, or its not going well. Just carry on
and finish it because you wont know
where to improve if you never finish
anything.
074
yourforeversunshine
Never give up on ANYTHING you're

writing. Even if you think it is the worst
thing you have ever written, it's probably
not, and you will feel so much better if you
finish something you hate than if you leave
it to rot in the bowels of your computer.
075 to 171
TIMELESS ADVICE
To stand the test of time.

Sid Meiers Civilization
075
30secondstohogwartsonmars
I have an issue where I imagine every

single scene but I never get motivated to
write. My advice is to never give up. Ever.
Just because you feel too lazy to write
something up that doesnt mean you
shouldnt write. You have to be motivated
and continue the road to finishing that
novel/short story/series because in the end
people, and yourself, will read words and
not thoughts.
076
agentiz
That trying to write in bursts isn't for

everyone, and sometimes just getting a
little bit done each day is fine.
077
ajspitstop
When I first started writing, things were really
difficult. It wasnt the best writing, and I was always
down on myself. And yknow, it worked in a sense because
I struggled and eventually improved my writing.
But the one thing I would give to others, is to not
stop writing. And to not be too hard on your writing.
Write what you want to write. Write the stories and the
characters that you would want to read, and if its not the
greatest work of fiction, please dont be too hard on
yourself because that will only kill your desire to write
more.
If you write something youre not too proud of,
dont focus on what you dont like about it. Tell yourself
This is the first step to making something awesome! No
one really told me that when I started, and I kinda wish
they had, because I might have gotten even better than I
am now. I might have actually finished some of my earlier
works!
The point is, dont hate the things you write. Even
if theyre worse than something else you or someone
else has written. Love the things you write because
theyre a part of you, theyre a part of your soul. And if
youre not happy with them, then improve them. Use them
as a jumping off point to become better than you ever
dreamed possible.
Because the things in your mind, the words and

stories you have to tell are important. To someone,
somewhere, those stories will be important at some point
in their lives. It may not even be in the way you intended.
God Bless all of you who read this, and who want
to write. And if I helped at all, then may he bless ya five
times more!
078
alexandreadanne
Just write. Don't think about what

you are writing just let it happen. You can
fix anything during the editing process..
079
amh1496
I wish someone had taught me larger

more sophisticated and interesting words
so I wouldnt have had to teach myself. Also
I wish it wouldnt have taken me so long to
get together the courage to write, I had
always been told I wasnt good enough.
Then one day I just said screw it! No one
has to like it as long as I feel Im being
artistic with my words and writing my
heart onto a page.
080
angelicxi
You don't have to write for anyone

other than yourself. Never let anyone's
thoughts other than yours dictate what
you write. Never. What other people would
want you to write is irrelevant. Write
what you want to write, when you want,
how you want. Write a thousand pages
about fireflies if it makes you happy, but
not because someone told you to. Writing is
for you to enjoy first and foremost, and you
should never let someone else influence
this.
081
angrybisexual
Come up with a project that excites

you, since keeping your motivation up is
the hardest part.
082
asweetheartcentral
For me, I would say that its really

helpful to have a general plan for the story.
I used to think it would stifle me, but it just
makes ideas come faster and allows me to
piece it together seamlessly. Said plan
doesnt have to every detail ever but just
enough so that build on later.
083
avataggart
Get it down on paper. Sure, plan it

some, but plan it on paper (or your
computer). Dont come up with an intense,
gripping epic complete with characters
entirely in your head, because you wont
know how or where to start getting it
down. If everything is in your head, youll
forget something. It might be a little detail,
or it might prove to be a crucial part of the
story. Plus, writing it out can help you
develop your idea more once you start
writing down the idea, youll want to keep
going.
084
bonjovirocks-on-occasion
The one writing advice I wish I had

before I started writing is that, unless
you're writing an autobiography, you
shouldn't consider the story you're writing
as yours. It belongs to the characters. They
are the ones who lived it, made the right
and the wrong decisions, suffered, loved,
and fought for what they believe in. The
writer's job is only to listen to their story,
write it down, and share it with others.
085
buriedskies
When I started writing, I wish I would

have known that I could say something in
ways other than what I would say.
Symbolism, poetic language, I wish
someone would have told me that I could
do these things when I started writing at a
relatively young age.
086
ceruleanicecubes
The thing that Ive learned?

Everything you write is going to feel trite
and cheap. If you never let other people
read your material, you will always think
you suck.
087
charlotte-granger
When I first started writing, I wish I

knew how to plot stories. I had so many
ideas that I was so excited about, but once I
got the first thought bubble on the page,
my enthusiasm fizzled out and I never went
back to write more. I probably have 30
started stories that never went anywhere.
If I knew how to plan out novels, I probably
would have gotten all that stuff out of the
way and been able to keep the momentum
of that initial idea going through the whole
thing.
088
clevergirlhelps
Something I wish I had known before

writing: It's a good idea to read widely
within the genre you're writing so you
know the tropes and clichs in it.
089
darrenseverything
For me, something that I needed to do

to become better as writer was to write
every day and more importantly, research
what you write about. Whether it be about
binders and transgender men or knowing
the technological advances in the 1920s
if its something you dont understand,
dont make shit up (ironic right?). Every
decision you make for your characters has
to be based upon something that can be
logically understood in the setting. It has to
be felt with the senses like being unable
to afford that binder or where to even buy
one.
090
degyfridou
One thing I wish Id known was not to

guilt yourself to write. I would always
mentally urge myself to write, write, write,
until I later developed a dislike for it. When
I did write, it was quick and sloppy, not to
mention boring and empty, and I would
distance myself from it even more.
091
delennjadzia
Outlines are your friend. But they can

be broken if you change your mind
partway through a story.
092
dills09
Never lose your imagination! Dont

ever let life or experiences you have had
get in the way of writing; use them or move
beyond them.
093
dreamintofly
The best advice I wish I would have

known is to not over-think my writing. Stop
trying to perfect and just let it flow out and
don't force it. Just write.
094
ecladragon
I wish that I had realized that I need

to share my writing with other people in
order to improve. There are many things
that I miss when I am reading what I write,
and it helps to at least get another set of
eyes to catch these small mistakes.
095
elumish
Write down literally everything. Have an idea
about a scene three books later in the series youre
writing? Write it down. Think of something at three
in the morning? Scrawl it on a tissue and copy it
down onto real paper later. Keep everything (yes, I
am one of those writers who hoards papers from like
10 years ago).
I spent a while having all of these ideas and
then just losing them to the aether because I didnt
keep them anywhere other than in my head. So write
down everything, or record yourself saying it, or
draw it, or keep it somewhere on something tangible
so you can go back to it later. And chances are, you
wont use all of it. But that is totally fine, as long as
you have it.
Also, digitizing everything (and then BACKING
IT UP) is your friend. Keep it on the cloud. Keep it
somewhere that it cant be corrupted or deleted or
set on fire or shredded or misplaced.
096
envywine
I wish Id known that I could write

down all of my ideas and thoughts and
theories about the world and call that a
novel. I didnt write simply because I
thought writing was about plot and world
building and 3 act structures. It doesnt
have to be. Some awesome writers in this
vein include Herman Hesse (especially
Steppenwolf).
097
ereriislove
I wish someone would have told me

not to pressure myself to upload writing
online on a schedule, quality writing takes
more than a few days to write including
editing and revision and making something
your proud of, writing on a deadline is
hard!
098
evilqueenofmarvel
First drafts are not the final. Plan to

edit, and don't worry if it's good or not
until later. Write for yourself. Imagine
everything in the scene you're writing as a
movie and then write down what's
important for the reader to see.
099
fairy-tail-stands
Don't worry about what people think

about your writing, if you let that influence
you, you'll never truly write what you
want.
100
fezzesareelementarymywaywardson
Theres one piece of advice I definitely wish
I wouldve known when I started and that would
be you shouldnt censor yourself. I first started
writing major things when I was in the third
grade. I thought that I should break down the
feeling I put in my writing because I thought
others would think I was weird because of how
much of myself I put into it.
So I made my words smaller, and therefore
making my sentences shorter, and my meaning
less clear. Then when I read back on it, I saw that
it wasnt at all what I had pictured in my mind.
Words dont need to be censored; they need to be
seen, heard, and felt. No matter how long or
meaningful that word is.
Now that I know to let my heart out onto
paper, my writing has improved so much! To
anyone who is writing or is a beginning writer:
never block the feeling in your words.
101
fixyourwritinghabits
For me, it was becoming obsessed

with rewriting the beginning of the story
over and over again because I was afraid
of the middle. It was much too long when I
realized you have to push beyond the
beginning and dive deep into the middle if
you want to get anywhere.
Always, always remember: you can fix
it later, but if you writing nothing now, you
have nothing to fix.
102
fromdreamstoplans
Beyond correct grammar, there is no

formula for 'good' or 'bad' writing. the
more you pour your heart out on the page
your actual heart, not the one you want
people to think you have the more likely
it will be to deeply resonate with someone
else. Discover your style, not the one you
wish you had or the one that's currently
cool. Find your sweet spot and stretch
yourself within it.
103
geekyzelda
The best piece of advice that I've

heard is that your first draft doesn't have
to be good. It just has to be written!
104
gerelephant
When I began writing, I felt

invincible. I wrote my first essay with very
limited editing and got it published on the
internet. I got so many positive reviews
from friends and family that my mindset
was to write and publish. If my first essay
was successful and my writing is surely to
only progress from there, is editing
necessary? The answer is a resounding yes.
My second essay didn't get published
because I did not edit and this knocked me
back down to writers reality. Editing is
crucial!
105
gonilove
My best advice is probably to write a

story that you care about. If you dont care
about your story then not only will your
readers not care about it, but youre not
going to have any fun with it, and that
comes across. You need to be excited about
your story, you need to love it and you need
to care for it like you care for a loved one,
you and your story need to have a good
relationship.
106
grayabyss
When I first got started writing, I

wish that I wouldve known that youre
never too young (or old) to begin writing.
107
greydaysandbooks
The one piece of advice I wish I

wouldve know when I first started writing
would be to understand that I'm not the
only person who loves to write. It's not
something special to me; there are other
kids who sit with their notebooks and let
the words swirl around in their minds. I
would tell myself to not look at these other
writers as competitors, but rather as
friends. We writers should always take
care of each other!
108
hannaadi88
Well, I wish my fourteen year old self

knew that just because my incentive for
writing wasnt for the sheer pleasure of it,
that didnt mean that I was writing for the
wrong reasons. You dont have to write for
yourself for it to count.
People have different reasons for
doing things. If your reason is recognition
and acknowledgement, its just as valid as
another persons need to let the words flow
out of their fingertips.
As long as youre enjoying yourself,
you dont need to have a noble reason to
write. Dont be embarrassed. Any incentive
that gets you to shape a whole world on
paper is a good one.
109
homeiswherethewritingis
Dont be afraid to write. You are

going to write like crap sometimes while
other times your writing will be like
painting them on Alyssa. Oh, and don't
compare yourself to other writers. You may
never be as good as them, but I bet there
are other writers looking at you and
thinking the same thing.
110
hopelesswanderer111
I would've liked to know that your life

doesn't have to be extraordinary for you to
write about it. You just have to find the
words to describe it in an extraordinary
way.
111
iammorethananame
When I first started writing, it

would've been reassuring to know that it's
okay to write something solely for yourself.
112
ikfantasy-2
The writing buddy is VERY

important! Also, all I can quite simply add
is never let anything stop your passion and
creativity!
113
jayinserenity
The first draft is always crap.
114
jkyacovelle
The advice I wish Id known was that

its okay to take time with a story. Youre
not beholden to finish it and make sure its
perfect as quickly as you can. Its perfectly
acceptable to write a draft, set it aside, and
let what you want the story to say
marinate in your being until you can find
the words that better express your
intentions. Its not a race; its a process that
can take as long or as little as you need.
115
jose-andres-the-mew
I got this almost since I started

reading advice blogs on Tumblr and I
really wish I knew it before:
Its almost completely impossible to
find original ideas. The best stories come
from mixing concepts and ideas borrowed
from somewhere into unique ways.
116
jpg816
Any thoughtful word is never wasted.

Whether youre writing a thoughtful letter,
giving your friend carefully worded advice,
or even writing a research paper, every
sentence helps you grow.
117
jtvoltage
The one thing that I really wish people
drilled into me early on is that REVISION IS
OKAY. I would spend so long planning, thinking,
and then just not even writing because I had (still
have) NO idea how to revise. All of my readers
from a young age always told me my writing was
great, so I never really developed a need to revise.
This led to me IDIOTICALLY turning down
an opportunity to have a piece published because
I refused to revise it after I wrote the first copy.
Now I actually had a reason for it, because the
publisher of the newspaper wanted me to alter
the ending a bit, and I declined because I felt the
ending was important the way it was, but also
because I had no idea to revise, or that revising
was okay/didnt mean I had failed or messed up.
So thats my two cents. Never be afraid to
revise.
118
katrinathornewriting
My favorite piece of writing advice is

'finish your shit. It's impossible to publish
what isn't there!
119
kceyagi
Stick with it. Keep writing even when you feel
like youre awful at writing or if you feel like you
need to give up writing to get serious about school
and finding a job. Never let any excuse take you away
from writing. Because the longer you wait to start
writing, the longer itll take for you to actually finish
your novel/story, and then youll watch as days turn
into weeks, weeks into months, and months into
years. You will start to get sick of yourself saying that
you want to finish writing your novel someday.
Youre only sabotaging yourself when you put off
writing. Just start today.
From ages 13-14, I wrote awful fanfiction but
decided to stop before high school because I felt like I
needed to focus my energy on getting into college
since I didnt think writing was a viable career
option. If only I had stuck with writing throughout
high school and college, I know I would have moved
from fanfiction to original fiction while improving
my craft. I bet I would have had a novel or two
published by now.
120
kethriholmes
For me, I definitely wish I had known

that not everybody has to sound smart just
because you know how to. I was in sixth
grade and trying to show off how smart I
was. But in the end, all I did was make my
eleven year olds sound like college
professors and it was terrible. I definitely
have learned since then to take into
account the characters age and
personality into how they speak.
121
kiboeme
Write from the heart feel the way

you want your reader to feel while you
write, and if you re-read it more than once
and stop feeling then try again.
122
krisnoel
Honestly, I wish I had worried less

about my first draft. I spent so much time
trying to get each chapter perfect before
moving on. I lost motivation because I was
trying to edit as I go. I also wish I had
surrounded myself with other creative
people because I ended up being close
friends with people who didnt really
support my writing. I wish I had attended
writing and reading groups and sought out
other creative people in high school. I spent
too much time thinking that what I liked
was weird, so I didnt give myself a chance
to explore it. I wish I had been myself more
often!
123
lahtili
Always have an editor! But honestly,

every story in the world is high quality so
long as you have someone to help you tell it
in just the right way.
124
lookingforkayla
A piece of advice I wish I would've

received is, 'Your writing does not need to
follow a format or have a certain theme. It
is yours and yours only, and that means it
can be about whatever you want, and it
can be written however you want. Be
comfortable with your writing.
125
lovelyraincoat
Everyone starts out badly. Every

writer begins with broken sentences and
underdeveloped characters, and the only
way to improve is to keep writing. I wish I
had known to just write, and not worry
over how bad it was. Write now, edit later,
and improve through the entire process.
126
marthasmumblings
Don't tell your reader something,

show them.
127
megatwitch
The story will never get written if you

dont actually write it Ive been blocked
in writing due to wanting to fix what I
have written so far, worrying that I havent
phrased things correctly or that it sounded
really immature, not realizing that this
first phase is only my rough draft. I need to
get the story on the pages and then go back
and edit. It doesnt do me any good to edit
an unfinished piece.
128
mermaidofsuburbia
I wish that I had known I shouldnt

compare my writing to others.
129
mossonhighheels
My problem was years spent thinking

being a good writer meant throwing out a
turn of phrase that made me feel like
Nabokov on every page right from the
offset, and that going back to fix phrasing
later was somehow fraudulent. It is not.
Put down your ideas in the first shoddy
words that come to mind so its here and
its solid, and worry about the flow and
elegance of a piece once its no longer a
flurry
of
ideas
fighting
for
attention. Sometimes you have to put
down all the wrong words in order for the
right ones to reveal themselves.
130
polast-u-s
The piece of advice I wished I received

when I first started is: 'Write because you
love writing, not for the sake of getting
attention.
131
primecymbeline
One piece of advice I wish I wouldve
known when I first started writing would have to
be reading. Reading. Like, not just books, but
articles, novellas, short stories, flash fiction, and
poems. Different genres and styles from authors
included! Anything you could possibly get your
hands on to visually see and comprehend and
figure out. I feel like you have to have read
different materials in order to write.
I learned this years ago when I didnt like
to read much, but insisted on writing short
stories. To be honest, they werent the best of
quality, and certainly pieces I am not proud of. As
time progressed, I lost patience with myself and
couldnt figure out how I could get better.
Nothing was working for me! I had the
imagination, but not the skill, I guess you could
say. But then, lo and behold! I turned myself into
reading other stories written by the average
person. Poems as well. At first I tried really hard
to copy another artists writing style. But soon, I
realized that from the knowledge I gathered, I

was able to learn and develop my own.
I wish I could have realized sooner to
branch out of my own little creative bubble and
read other things. Be open to endless possibilities
that your fellow writers have to offer! Converse
with them and learn with them! Read their work
and give your support! Read, read, read!
132
proudwords
Write for yourself first. Dont be so in

love with what you write that you cant see
when it needs revising. There will always
be people who dont like what you write;
dont let it stop you. Dont edit as you write;
get it all down first while the iron is hot,
then go back and revise as necessary. As
with all advice, take what works best for
you.
133
queersilvers
Do not seek perfection and I truly

mean that. I was obsessed with making the
perfect first chapter that I always got stuck
in that part and when I got to the middleending, I couldn't concentrate. Seriously,
write your story and ignore that critical
voice in your head. Write the best you can
and forget about the rest.
134
quietgirlbigdreams
Creating a story firsthand cant be

good without drafting ideas or research
first.
135
quinn-campbell
I wish I known I had the freedom to

write whatever I wanted to, in whatever
way I wanted, and work out the details
after my first draft was done. I spent two
decades of writing and almost never
finished a draft because I was trying to 'do
it right.
136
remember-thyself
Write for yourself before writing

what the world would like to read.
137
rightwritings
I guess its not so much what I wish I

had known, but what I have learned and
thats every piece of writing you do makes you
better. Its a long tiring road, and if you look
back every few footsteps it will seem like you
havent gotten anywhere, but if you look back
over years or even months, you will see
definitive progress. Also, rewriting stories
completely gives you so much freedom. It
helps you know your characters better, revise
your plot, and learn more about the world you
are writing about. So instead of editing your
first draft, open a new document and start
over. Dont even look at your first draft. Just
rewrite the story from memory, and youll find
its better every time. I guess the second thing
Ive learned Dont be afraid to give yourself
a clean slate. Its very cathartic.
138
rikkiatia
Even if you don't have a spectacular

vocabulary, you can write spectacular
things. Using a thesaurus to find big, fancy
words and using them in a sentence doesn't
make you a better writer. They can
actually ruin the flow of your writing by
sounding out of place. Instead, let your
vocabulary develop naturally as you
develop as a writer, reader, and human
being.
139
rjwaltz
No one writes an entire book all at

once.
140
rogue--of--void
I've been writing and telling stories

since I could talk. I wish some one had told
me sooner to write for myself rather than
trying to impress others or write what I
thought they would like. Essentially it
doesn't matter what others think about
your writing as long as you enjoy your
writing!
141
sappyjars
A quote by J.K. Rowling: 'Nothing will

help you as much as reading.
142
sarahhallin
I wish, when I had started, that

someone had said that it was okay to feel
emotions about my writing. I feel weird if
Im overly proud of an update, or if I write
an excellent paragraph. I always get weird
stares when people realize Im almost
crying over a really sad piece of writing,
thats not mine.
People are allowed to feel emotions
when they look at art and see movies. Why
cant we be allowed to feel for writing?
143
seraphsword-seraphs
Just because your first draft isn't the

best doesn't mean the final outcome will be
bad. It will look really nice when you're
done, just keep working on it and don't
abandon it.
144
serpent-hydra
Dont fret about the writing, that can

be fixed in the edit. Just make sure that you
do actually go and do that edit and not
give up after the first draft is done!
145
silvertonguespyglass
Just write. Every second you spend

writing, no matter what it is, is a second
you spend getting better at it.
146
smilingworgswonderfulwords
Let the creativity run wild, and enjoy

making the snippets of story. The
brainstorming that constantly goes on is
part of what makes the writing experience
so enjoyable.
However, when it comes to even
making the first draft, dont force every
component into the story. Yes, that
particular scene may have been they most
awesome piece from the envisioning
process and it feels like a beloved
child. But if it doesnt fit naturally, let it
go. Let the story be its own cohesive story,
not just a bunch of snapshots shoehorned
together.
147
spottedfrost
Inspiration strikes at unexpected

times. If your ideas or writing isnt flowing
the way it should, take a break for as long
as you want and come back to it. Also,
starting over isnt a bad thing. It can give
you a fresh start and give you the
opportunity to write something better than
before.
148
spyke1985
Write what you know. Whether that

means writing about the streets of your
hometown, the planet Snixis a billion
trillion miles from here, or the vacation
spot your family goes to every year, it
doesn't matter. Just write it. Write it all
down. Don't worry that you think you're
not good enough yet, or that nobody will
read your work. WRITE IT. You only
improve through writing. And you never
know who might treasure what you write!
149
stardiouses
It's perfectly fine if your story goes to

a place that you hadn't planned. I know
that it's awesome when you picture an
ending before anything else, but the real
magic is when you start writing and things
just happen and you are as clueless as your
characters.
150
strideup
Dont worry about the length of the

finished book (that used to get me a lot). In
the end, it's the story and how you choose
to tell it that makes people read it not
the page count!
151
subtextures
My Advice: Writing is always hard.

And it is always alone. Write honestly and
write everyday.
152
supportshakespeare
Everyone has a story to tell.

EVERYONE.
And sometimes people get so caught
up in telling A story that they forget to tell
THEIR story. So tell your story.
153
titania522
I wish someone had told me that you

should not just wait for inspiration to
write. If you wait for the urge to strike,
you'll never get anything down on paper.
So, just sit down every day at the same time
and write something!
154
thebritishmonkey
Treat your writing as a piece of art.

Writing is an art form and to make a
masterpiece you can't rush art. Take your
time.
155
thecrushingblack
I wish Id written the stories I wanted

to write, instead of the ones I thought
people wanted to read.
156
the-inspired-starfish
Okay the advice I wish someone had

given me:
The first draft doesnt have to be
perfect. Thats what editing and revising is
for. You dont have to be 100% sure of
yourself the first time around because
you can always change it later.
157
thelolipopme
There is no one way to tell a story, so

dont get stuck on what has to be included.
158
the-loveliest-fox-is-kuro
A good piece of advice for everyone is

to stop putting your work down. Believe
you are great at writing, and just keep
writing and improving.
159
thenothling
A piece of writing advice that I had

wish I'd known when I started writing is
that if you think of your characters as
people then they will be infinitely better
and more believable.
160
theonlyfantasyninja
Your first idea is no good. Neither is

the second. The third revision shows
promise. Then it becomes art.
161
thunder-sky1d
When I first got started writing, I

wish I would have known that it doesnt
have to be perfect in the first try. I dont
need a title before I write the first sentence.
And sometimes, you just need to sit down
and make yourself write.
162
trapped-magic18
I wish someone would have told me to

write not just for others, but also for
myself. I used to like telling stories to my
friends, but then it got to the point were
they would call me selfish when I didnt or
couldnt tell them a story when they asked.
I felt horrible.
163
trevdawggg
Dont force your writing to be

something its not; trying too hard to sound
profound or poetic will make it sound
anything but. Youre always better off
being as genuine and honest in your
writing as possible, whatever form that
may take for you.
164
undead-dragon-posts
One piece of advice I wish I had was

to plan the story. My early writing went
anywhere and everywhere, willy-nilly, and
exploring nothing in depth. Have a road
map. Know where the story is going, what
its doing, and why.
165
warriormaggie
First off: just write. Put down the

sentences, get down your thoughts - don't
agonize over word choices. Just write. The
second thing: dont feel like you can't
delete. Thats something Im work on and I
felt like it needed to be here.
166
whimsicallyworded
Just write everyday. Even if it is one

line, one chapter, one word, write. It will
help develop your writing and for you to
teach yourself. Keep going!
167
who-let-the-huns-out
I forgot where I got this advice. If its

from a friend or from a writing blog, but
the advice goes like this: Allow yourself to
write the biggest steaming pile of shit, then
edit it once youre done.
168
wholocked-writersblock
The first draft is for yourself." Dont

worry about how it looks, youll rewrite
later. Just get the story out or youll lose all
the love you have for it!
169
writtenwordsl
I wished I had known the importance

of just writing. It doesnt have to be prefect
(especially the first draft), but you need
some place (something really) to start
with.
170
xxtheblanksxx
Just write, write to your hearts

content!
171
zebasiddiqui
Grammar, grammar, grammar!
072 to 248
TIPS & TRICKS
I am not afraid of storms

for I am learning how to
sail my ship.
Louisa May Alcott
172
3fandom5u
I wish I had known that just writing

anything would've helped me improve. 510 minutes of writing straight really does
help.
173
adeametea
Take two minutes each day to write

at least one line for your current work.
174
aitch22
I used to think I could only write short stories.
If I asked myself, do you think you could write a
novel? my answer was always no. I sat down one day
with a little idea; two people meet. It was just one
scene, but then I wondered what happened next. And
I wrote that, and what they did before they met, and
my short story became a long story and then it was
over 34,000 words by the time I reached the end. I
am not a seasoned writer, but I learned that I could
do more.
The trick seemed to be to ask what happened
next, and write it all down. I realized that the reader
could not see the pictures in my head, so I described
them fully, what my characters saw and felt, and as I
did that it became more real to me. The story came
alive and demanded to be written. I made time to
write, and gave up TV because the story nagged at
my brain and kept me awake nights and had to reach
the page.
When I got stuck, I wrote something else and
found that my big story just took a breath, and
reappeared in its own time. So what worked for me
was:
Write the next scene, as if I were describing a
movie.
Write everything that was in my head.
Write something (anything) else when I got
stuck.
Write until its finished.
Above all, sit down and write something even
if its not great.
Then go back and fix it.
Follow your characters to the end, take no
short cuts, and enjoy the journey!
175
amateurserendipity
Some time ago I read a creative

writing book that said If you want to write
about a graveyard at night then go to a
graveyard at night' you know, so your
writing is more realistic and all that. I
think that sometimes you dont need to put
yourself in the situation you want to write
about. I think the internet can be your best
ally. and you may not need to go to that
creepy graveyard after all.
176
3fandom5u
Ok, picking the one piece of advice is really
hard for me so Ill go with my top 3:
1: Never give up, never stop, but get off the
horse if its dead! This one refers to my problem to
finish something. Im so hell-bent on finishing what I
started, that I was stuck with the same project for
more than a year and not moving anywhere. Only
recently a very dear friend of mine (schreibschnegel)
dragged me out of that blockade by saying Its a pity
that you block yourself so badly. Why dont you put it
aside for a while and write something else. Maybe the
time for this project just isnt ripe yet. It doesnt mean
youre giving up, its just time for a pause. So for the
next year or so I am going to practice differentiating
between stopping (or hitting pause) when something
isnt working for me, and knowing when to push
through no matter what.
2: Dont mistake scale for intensity, and I
would like to quote Diana Gabaldons blog here:
"No matter what the background may be, a
story that focuses on the impact of events on one or
two individual lives will be generally speaking
much more engaging and emotionally intense than
one where everyone is just rushing around trying to

save a planet or get their hands on the fortunium
bomb that could Destroy Everything! (source)
3: Dont make empty threats, for every action
theres a consequence and there is a price to pay, and
again I would like to quote from Diana Gabaldons
blog, but Id just end up copy-pasting her whole blog
entry, so again the link to the source.
177
apromptripost
Craig Fergusons Three Rules:

Does it need to be said?
Does it need to be said BY ME?
Does it need to be said by me NOW?
178
babycharmanderkeckleon
I really wish I had known that its

okay to use regular pronouns and the
names of the characters, and you dont
have to use epithets all the time. There IS a
time and place for them (like when your
character doesnt know the new
characters name, so she may think of him
as the short man or just the man until
she learns his name), but using them ALL
THE TIME makes your stories really
confusing for your readers.
Names and pronouns are invisible.
Epithets make your readers stop and try to
figure out which of the 5 characters in this
scene this description fits.
179
barbex
Carve out writing time and protect it

at all cost! Write down a specific time as
your 'writing time' and stick to it. Treat it
like you would treat any other
appointment in your life, if something
important comes up you reschedule your
writing time but you do not skip it. It
doesnt matter if you write 100 or 5,000
words in that time, you will use that time
for your story and only for that.
180
bellsprout
My favorite piece of advice, and one I

follow wholeheartedly, is to write the
way you want to read.
181
bluepumpkinsandredribbons
Every character, every scene, every

story has motivation. Voldemort wanted
Harry, Thorin wanted revenge, etc. Put
your characters through hell. Push them to
the limit. Have them stare death in the
face. Finally, when creating a character,
remember that their hair color or favorite
song doesnt always dictate why they do
what they do.
182
brokenteethleon
Honestly, I wish I had worried less about my first
draft. I spent so much time trying to get each chapter
perfect before moving on. I lost motivation because I was
trying to edit as I go. I also wish I had surrounded myself
with other creative people because I ended up being close
friends with people who didnt really support my writing.
I wish I had attended writing and reading groups and
sought out other creative people in high school. I spent
too much time thinking that what I liked was weird, so I
didnt give myself a chance to explore it. I wish I had been
myself more often!
For me, it was becoming obsessed with rewriting
the beginning of the story over and over again because I
was afraid of the middle. It was much too long when I
realized you have to push beyond the beginning and dive
deep into the middle if you want to get anywhere.
Always, always remember: you can fix it later, but
if you writing nothing now, you have nothing to fix.
Your first time writing will not be perfect. It might
not even be good. But the more you do it, the more you
read other writings, the more you put into it, the quicker
youll see your skill improve. Nothing is ever good the first
time; dont quit after one try.
183
chaoticcat-alicehoshina
I wish I had known to believe in my

own writing skills more. Despite how it
may sound when Im writing it, it ends up
better after Im finished and have checked
over it. Another thing I wish I had known
was that I needed to just wait for a bit to
reread it instead of throwing it away or
putting it somewhere I could never find
again, because I felt it wasnt good enough
at the time.
184
dreigiau
One thing that took me a long time to

learn was that 'quality over quantity' is all
well and good for life and school essays,
but entirely not true when it comes to
writing (particularly first drafts). Practice
is the only way to improve, and the more
you can get written the better. Getting
hung up over 'getting it right the first time
wont you very far at all.
185
didsomeonesayventus
Dramatic elements like I lost my

parent(s), Ive been abused as a child,
Everyone keeps dying, I got raped, etc.
Are terrible things to do for your narrative
if youre doing them for the sake of being
dark and edgy. Its very difficult to pull
these off seriously without offending people
or making them say the 8 magic dreadful
words (I dont care what happens to
these/this people/person). Even if youre
parodying these tropes, be VERY careful
when using them.
186
emotional-infinity-waves
One piece of advice I wish I wouldve

known is that sometimes its alright to take
breaks from your writing.
187
enter-the-darkside
Learn a little bit of culture, Sociology

and Psychology. Prejudices are usually subconscious and reading up on these topics
can help you write better characters.
188
fighttillthelastgasp
My advice: DO IT. Don't procrastinate

your writing, don't put off doing it by
endless research. Sit down. Write
something. Anything. I find it's helpful to
set a time limit! Say 'I will write for one
hour today.' Most of the time you go over
and even if you don't, that's one hour of
productive writing!
189
gaslampghost
My best piece of advice would be that

you dont have to write your story in one
straight line.
You have a great idea for the ending?
Go ahead and right it down now, dont
have to be at the end yet. You can piece the
story together later.
Have a great story idea but cant
seem to get it going? Start in the middle.
You can go back and right the start later,
or just do it in flashbacks thats perfectly
ok.
190
genesischi
Dont use gasps or exclamation marks

all the time, it looks very childish.
191
glitterypumpkin
To me, the most important thing I

have learned as a writer is that good
writing doesn't have to be articulate and
sophisticated, it simply has to make a
reader feel something. Whether it is as
simple as making someone smile, writing
and art offer a rare opportunity to let
people escape the mundane and
experience real emotion. And that doesn't
always have to mean writing convoluted
metaphors and using peculiarly complex
language.
192
goblinseatingrazzledazzleberries
Get fully immersed in your world.

Really let yourself get sucked into the story
as if you are a pesky spider dangling from
every tree, every corner, always watching
the characters, and describe a scene
exactly as that spider sees it happen. If the
writer can see it happening, the readers
will be able to see it as well! They will see
things clearly (if not exactly the same way)
as you because you watched it happen no
differently than they are!
193
green-tea-bubble
The first draft does not matter. the

final product will most likely look super
different from it due to revisions (whether
it's more researched, or because of advice,
or simply changing perspectives). No one
other than you will really see it. Frankly
you could put the word dick' in every third
word and it wouldn't even matter. Go
ahead. Put as many dicks as you want in
your story. Just allow yourself to put the
ideas down, and revise it later.
194
heycharlie333
If you've got an idea that's stuck in

your head, write it. Write it and don't
revise or edit it or anything. Later, read,
then delete, and find your mind
miraculously cleared and ready to get back
to whatever big project you're working on.
This is also god for writers block! Don't be
afraid of one shots and side projects. They
can be very helpful to make your main
project the best it can be!
195
howlsmovingbookshop
It took me a while to realize that the

first draft will never be perfect. I am a
perfectionist and I always wanted the first
draft to be crisp and clean, I soon got bored
of constantly editing and rewriting things
that it wasnt fun for me anymore. The first
time you write, you cant focus on the
rough patches. Just write to your hearts
content! Then you can go back later and fix
it up step by step. Dont overwhelm yourself
by trying to make it perfect the first time.
Mistakes are OK!
196
hthar
I wish someone had told me that

writing wasn't actually a solo activity
that it's safe to get together and share
ideas, take advice, and draw from other
writers. Besides journaling, I only ever
wrote for school assignments until I met
my best friend. Now, I can't imagine
writing something without discussing it
with her!
197
i-am-dreaming-of-wonderland
Enjoy writing but take your time.
1. If youre writing a story, think about it a bit
and be sure you have a plot. Then you can focus on your
writing and you only have to think about the details
while writing.
2. Dont be angry if you read through an older
story you wrote and you think its bad. Maybe it was
but dont think you write still that bad. Writing is
something you can practice and in which you get better
with the time.
3. When youre using a platform to share your
stories (Fanfiction.net for example), even if its hard
and you want to hear the opinion of others: Please start
posting after you finished the story. Its exhausting
when you have more or less a deadline. You put
yourself under pressure. If you dont post before the end
is written, you can stop working on a story whenever
you like and when you have a bad time you dont have
to worry if your readers get angry because you didnt
update for half a year or so. If you finish your story first
you have all the time you need.
198
icanwritejunk
People really, really, like Dragons.

They also like monster girls.
Characterize them well, and put them
in fucking everything.
199
icaughtfire31
Finishing the story is the most

difficult, yet most important part. Endings
are hard, yet you must do it. Even if it
sucks. Finish it, and fix it later.
200
ilhueminati
My piece of advice actually came

from M. Kirin: Being a hero isnt always
great. It made me think about my
characters in my story. They are selfish
heroes, so to speak. They never really save
the world, they save their world. Their
loved ones instead of everyone on earth,
thats how they view it anyway. They
wouldnt sacrifice themselves for strangers,
yet wouldnt hesitate if it were a loved one.
201
im-a-multi-fandom-mess
My advice would be to write. Write

every single day. I know most aspiring
writers are still students who have
school/college and homework to deal with,
but still you should write a little everyday.
Set an easy limit for yourself like, 200 or
300 words and reach that limit
everyday. The only way to become a better
writer is to write. So write. Every. Single.
Day.
202
imlivingondreamshere
I wish Id been told when I first

started writing that you need to write for
you and not for others. As well as that your
first draft is likely not going to be a best
selling book without revision.
203
incognito-author
Everyone and everything needs a

motivation and character development. A
flaw that the readers might not even see,
but put down the book later thinking,
That character changed. They didnt need
too, they were fine the way they were but
theyve changed."
It doesnt even have to necessarily be
good change.
Another thing: have a writing buddy,
or someone you can depend on to read it! It
helps you stay motivated!
204
incomprehensiblemetaphor
As much as you might want to, don't

start writing the moment you find a vague
feeling that seems like the basis of a good
story. Take a moment to step back and
figure out what the story will actually be
about. If you don't know what's going on
and who your characters are, you're going
to get discouraged and bored and probably
miss out on a masterpiece.
205
jeff-the-god-of-biscuits
Simple: SAVE EVERYTHING.

Even if you think its shit or someone
pressures you in giving up and stopping,
SAVE EVERYTHING.
206
kaylainfuckingwonderland
Write the fucking details down in a

notebook. That side characters eye color
you mention once? Yeah twenty chapters
later you dont want to have to dig that
detail out of the abyss of your rough draft.
207
kittium-unleashed
Always, always, always back up your

work. There is one story from my childhood
that I so clearly remember because my
writing program crashed (or something
like that) and I lost the hours of work Id
done on it. I also lost several of my poems
when my moms computer got a virus.
So always save your writing and
preferably in multiple places.
As for when I first started writing
seriouslyI wish someone would have told
me just how bad first drafts are going to
be. I still find myself editing while Im
writing rather than after. Its a difficult
habit to break and will slow down your
writing.
208
krystal
Characters know theyre gonna suffer

and in a way they want it. Its a chance for
them to accomplish their destiny, prove
who they are, and maybe make a difference
good or bad. Leaving them to safely sit
around is like trying to make a wild animal
stay in a small cage, its not good for them
and theyre not gonna like it.
209
leanncar
No one starts out writing and is instantly great at
it. Contrary to popular belief, writing isnt a talent that is
encoded in your genes or inherited from your parents.
The only way to get it is to develop it through years of
practice. And I know I also have a lot of followers who
will want to hear some writing advice. Having said that, I
cant name just one thing I wish I knew back when I
started writing, so here they are:
1) Choose a tense, and stick with it.
I cannot stress this enough! Whenever I read any
fan fiction, Ill always know whether the writer is new or
experienced when I check their verbs. Switching tenses
throughout a narrative is a common mistake among
writers that are just starting out. I do try to excuse it
most of the time, as it actually took me years to figure out
this technique, but trust me when I say that when all your
verbs are uniform, it makes a world of difference. Your
writing will instantly seem more mature and well thought
out, even though the content is actually pretty basic. So
choose whether you want your story to be written in past
tense (e.g. The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
and Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell) or in present
tense (The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Its
Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini) and stick with it!
2) Go with the Kress structure.
The book Beginnings, Middles, and Ends by Nancy

Kress has been extremely helpful to me in writing.
According to her, when you want to start out your story,
think of these 4 basic elements: Character, Plot,
Specificity, and Credibility. If you dont know what those
stuff mean, look them up. Theyll help you out, I promise.
3) Writing is supposed to suck.
Sitting on a chair, typing in front of a computer
screen for hours on end, struggling to put one word after
another Yes, writing is an extremely painful, exhausting,
and arduous process. Its not something that really goes
away. When youre just starting out, youll think this is
because youre still new to this and that itll get easier
with time. Actually, it does quite the opposite. Ive noticed
that new writers are usually the fast ones and the really
wordy ones. Theyre more trigger happy and unhesitant,
putting down whatever and wherever, whereas
experienced writers want to make each word count and
are already factoring which groups of words or scenes
are unnecessary and should be omitted and thus, they
take longer. Either way, writing isnt supposed to get
easier with time (though Im sure it does for some
people). Most professional novelists still experience this
struggle every time they write a book. So dont be
discouraged with it! Just keep writing and itll be worth it
in the end.
4) Your style will follow through.
It would be great if we could all be like those
classical authors who have their own distinct style of
writing. Hand an average person an excerpt from Pride &
Prejudice and Huckleberry Finn and they would most

probably be able to identify which ones a Twain and
which ones an Austen. (The former has more wit and
authenticity in dialogue while the latter has a more
romantic prose, with detailed descriptions of anything
that suits an observers fancy.) Dont force yourself to
develop a certain style because itll come out shallow or
you might even end up copying someone elses! Just
explore what it is you really want to try and over time
youll see it become a sort of template for all of your
works. This template then becomes your style.
210
leioralindanlove
I wish I had known that you do not

have to use every piece of advice. Let me
repeat that. You DO NOT have to use every
piece of advice. I tried to do this, and found
myself scrambling to please absolutely
everyone, which just ended in a very
patchwork story and more importantly a
lack of enjoyment. Constructive criticism is
really awesome and helpful, but you can't
let it rule your writing. Some advice works
for your story, some doesn't. Just do what
you feel is right and enjoy!
211
maddiemasterofthemacabre
Remember who, what, when, where,

and why. When stuck sit down and answer
these questions. Who is the main
character? What would they do to get
what they want. What are they doing?
When and Where? Why do they do what
they do? Great for figuring out plot.
212
mamawaffle
Make notes as you go. If you write

stories like I do (which is basically with
zero planning in spontaneous bursts) it
helps with not having to go back through
the two hundred plus pages in a word
document just to remember what color a
characters eyes were. Or ideas for the
story or the world, doesnt help the story if
you forget them. Always have a notebook
on you, even if its a digital one or a tiny
one you can fit in your back pocket you will
thank yourself later.
213
meganator-xx
What advice I wish I'd known? No

matter how bad it is, or how embarrassed
it makes you, never delete your writing.
Don't erase it, don't crumple it up,
don't sigh in anger and tear it up because
you think you can do better. And another
thing; write it. Have an idea? Have two
lines of a poem in your head? Have a mind
blowing philosophical question? WRITE IT
DOWN.
214
melloadams
Once you start writing keep writing

at least a few times a week because the
longer you go without writing, the harder
it is to get back to it. Also keep a journal for
your ideas and carry it with you
everywhere along with a bunch of pens.
You never know when inspiration will
strike.
215
moosewearingplaid
Have a routine to get in the writing

mindset. I get my fave cozy blanket, a drink
like coffee, tea or soda and have a specific
playlist that I only listen to while writing!
216
nekithamajere
Something I wish Id known Probably, not to
be scared to show work youre proud about to
others. My Dad writes, not professionally, but he is
really good. I wish Id had the courage to show him
some of my earliest works. Hell, I wish I could pluck
up the courage to show him now.
To new writers:
1. Dont be scared to show your work to
people. The things you might be the most unsure of
can be the things people like most.
2. Spell check, grammar check, and edit as
much as you can when youre finished. Editing it
when youre done is much simpler, because youre
focused on those tasks. I never find mistakes if Ive
just typed something, Ive got to leave it and come
back to find the mistakes.
3. Have fun! If you dont like what youre
writing, start fresh. Doesnt mean you have to erase
or delete what you have, just start with another idea,
or wrote a part of your story youre really excited
about.
4. DONT GIVE UP!! My parents dont fully
support my wishes to become a writer, and am
pushing me to go to university for a backup job.

Which is fine, but I have very few people to talk to
about my stories, and that gets me discouraged
sometimes. Ive learned to push through it, and write
anyway. I mostly write fanfics, but I do some original
stuff too. Its all fine, so DONT GIVE UP!!
217
new-constellations
I think the largest concept I struggled with
when I began writing was the idea that the
protagonist could literally be anybody you choose
out of a hat. I always, regardless of the point of view I
wrote from (1st or 3rd, 2nd is kinda awkward) the
hero would always be a short, red head, my
approximate age, who had my qualities and quirks.
Maybe I was just a vain kid who only thought of
themselves when they wrote, but it took me until a
creative writing class in tenth grade to really grasp
the concept that my protagonist could be poor or
rich, male or female, straight or gay or somewhere
between, sane or struggling, any race or age I chose.
This enlightenment changed my writing style and
helped me grow as a writer. My advice is your hero
can be anybody regardless, as long as you dont
disrespect or disqualify people when portraying them
(clichs can be a blessing or a curse use them to your
advantage, very carefully). Another bit of advice
write about yourself when ever you want to!
218
niclo121212
My main advice for every writer ever:

If youve suffered from writers block, this is
important! Make a book of prompts in an
old notebook. Add to it. Use it.
Whenever you cant come up with
ideas, look at it for inspiration!
219
oldordead
1. Your writing will always improve

as long as you keep doing it. Your writing
will improve on its own, like magic.
2. Its alright to abandon a project,
just know that everything you write is
salvageable. Maybe an idea or a character
will work better off in another story than
in the one youre currently writing.
220
paradoxicaldragon
Dont let others tell you youre not good
enough. Someone says your writing is weak and
youll never make it? Name the character that dies
horribly after them. Think of the twelve publishers
who turned down Harry Potter. THEY TURNED
DOWN FRICKIN HARRY POTTER. And these are the
professionals too. People will always critique and
criticize but that doesnt mean theyre right.
Alternatively, dont ignore constructive
criticism. I cant just sit here and tell you youre
gonna make it because I actually dont know if youre
any good. You do have to have talent along with
dedication. If someone politely points out that your
spelling is errant, do not smash a keyboard over their
head. Save that keyboard for the ones who tell you
you cant improve, not the ones who tell you how to.
Next, know thine enemy. Know what part of
writing is your flaw and work on it. There are plenty
of online resources and classes that you can take to
improve FOR FREE.
The most important and relevant advice
though is the most obvious. If you wanna be a writer:
WRITE. Sure, you can make up all the scenarios and
characters you want in your head but you cant

exactly turn in an imaginary manuscript. Dont
worry about how the first draft will turn out because
thats what editing is for. If writing is like building a
house, then the rough draft is the ugly skeleton of it.
The fine carpeting and pretty decorations come later.
Lastly, Id like to point out that a certain
amount of creativity is required. Everyone can write,
but not everyone can write something original.
Believe in yourself, believe in your abilities,
and believe in your story.
221
papercraneswriting
What do I wish I had known? This:

Inspiration isnt about waiting. Its
about crafting. You cant get anywhere if
youre always waiting for inspiration to
strike, but you can reach your goals and
climb toward your dreams if you work at it,
inspired or not. And what likely happens is
that inspiration pops up in the midst of the
hard work. Inspiration isnt caught. Its
created.
If I realized this when I decided I
wanted to write years ago, I might actually
have completed something I liked before
now.
222
penw0man
When I first started writing I wish

that I had known how powerful an opening
sentence could be. I always started my
stories off quite bland and was never able
to draw a reader in. Now I understand the
power of an opening line and spend more
time editing it.
223
philyosophy
If you really want to get into the hang

of writing, get a small notebook and a pen,
so whenever you're not doing anything
(sitting on the bus, taking lunch break,
anything) get it out and just start writing
everything that comes to your mind. Write
every little thing, observations about the
people around you, something about that
show you've been thinking about all day, a
PSA to the rest of the world about muffins.
Just do it, and do it often.
224
prince-darkleboob
What advice I wish I knew when I was

writing? I would have to say that you
should always write. Writing on your
laptop and power's out? There's a piece of
notebook paper hiding somewhere and
candles/flashlights. Stuck in a boring class?
Do your work then write something in
loose leaf paper. Walking around outside
and you have a cellular phone? Google
drive is a thing for smartphones.
There's always time to write, even when
you think there isnt.
225
pro-reader-amatuer-writer
Keep what you write. No mater what.

Even if you think it sucks keep it as a
reminder. So that you can look back and
see how much you've grown. How much
you have improved and whether or you
could try those ideas you had two years
ago now that you know more then you did
before.
226
redridingflannel
My wonderful writing teacher, whom

I must credit as being Mr. Alex Dawson,
author of 'The Rapscallion Club,' always
told me to: 'Write the book you want to
read.' My own advice? If you aren't in the
mood to write, get yourself excited! Think
of all the exciting things that'll happen inscene and later! Get up! Run around! Blast
music! Make yourself your own number
one fan who just needs the piece finished!
227
rosealiarook
Write as though you could talk with

your characters. Ask them if they would act
a certain way, or word something
differently. Act as though they're a real
person sitting across the room.
228
roxmariesbox
Connect with other writers. Although family and
friends can always be great supporters and are for sure
an amazing source of inspiration, sometimes, they can
also slow us down, whether they are downright
unsupportive, or just confused and unable to
understand your desires, interests, and motivations as
a writer (especially if you already have a career and
job that pay the bills and have nothing to do with
writing). Surrounding yourself with writers can give
you the support, advice, and motivation that sometimes
we need so dearly. no one can understand your
struggles as well as a fellow writer, struggling
themselves with their own manuscript. Please dont let
this acquaintances absorb you, though, sometimes we
do need that touch of reality knocking on our office
door to tell us I know that manuscript thingie of yours
is very important but its been 5 days since your last
shower can you please?
Find the balance between people that support
you and understand you, and people that encourage
you even though they have no idea what youve been
ranting about for the last 2 hours.
229
rozey1261
Writing doesnt have to follow the

"heros journey."
230
ryeofthestars
If you have any, ANY idea, even the

smallest ones, you should write it down,
even if it was a two-sentence scene or idea,
because even if you did not use those the
moment you write them, you might read
them later in life and they'll be an
inspiration or a plot for an epic piece of
art.
231
samiholloway
Keep goinglike, its easy to start a story, and
if youre really into it, its also easy to get right into
the middle of a story, but then it gets hard and thats
when it gets easy to justwander off. To start
another story, and another. But if you power
through, if you just commit to keep going, regardless
of what you think of it in the moment, then youll
have a finished story instead of a whole bunch of
fragments. And when you have a finished story, even
if its missing parts and doesnt make sense and you
still hate the end, you have something to edit, and its
editing and revising that makes a story great.
For good measure, heres a few more:
Write every day, even if its only one page,
even if you hate it, even if you have to do it one
sentence at a time in between other things.
When youre done with the days writing, write
three things you intended to do next, even if you dont
actually do them, so you dont have to look at the
blank page and not know what to do next.
Plan a story when you get to the middle, not at
the beginning, so it can be wild and free and exciting
before it all has to come together.
Who cares if the story has already been told?

It hasnt been told by you.
Give a finished story a month of totally
ignoring it and working on something else before you
go back to revise, so youre fresh and a little separate
from it.
Have side projects, always, but dont work on
them until youve done your days work on the main
one.
When you finish, start writing something else.
Write about what you dont know, and figure
it out as you go.
232
seasaltmemories
Even if its from years ago, save your

old writing, when you feel like your writing
hasnt improved at all, read your old works
so you can see just how much youve
grown.
233
somber-times
The one piece of advice I wish I had

when I first started writing was that there
are other forms of writing besides poetry.
234
sound-board-controls
Remember: the basic idea of writing

is that you're satisfying your imagination
and sharing it with others. What that
means to you, is up to you.
235
sounddrive
One thing I do when I get writers

block is to look at buildings, and I mean
look at them. I get close, and see the
textures or what makes up the
wall/door/window, etc. Helps if you have a
camera or a cell phone with a built in
camera to keep it to look back on it later. I
touch the surface, and I try to make
sentences about them. I dunno how the rest
of you do it, but thats my two cents.
236
summerbootattoo
A great starting place for any writer

is to first read anything and everything you
can get your hands on. Poems, comics,
novels of varying genres, etc. The next step
would be to write everyday. Its the only
way to perfect your craft. Also remember,
your writings will not please everyone, but
if it makes you happy then there is a good
chance it will make others happy as well.
237
the-nerdwriter
I wish I could go back and tell myself

that even if the first, second, and third
drafts are terrible, you shouldnt give up on
the project. As long as theres growth and
improvement in your writing and youre
still passionate about the project, its worth
pursuing. Also, the things that people tell
you about your writing can be harsh and
can hurt you, but they can also help you
pinpoint weak points and areas in need of
improvement. Swallow your pride and
listen. Finally, set clear expectations when
you have people beta read or edit, and
understand that theyre humans with their
own problems and things to deal with.
Communication is key in any relationship,
but its crucial in these.
238
thepluckyscreenwriterblog
I write screenplays, so the one piece

of advice I wish I would have known is that
you're not typically supposed to write
camera angles in spec scripts. I didn't know
this when I first started out, and it made
editing
my
first
screenplay
an
unnecessarily arduous process. But hey, if
writing were easy, it wouldn't be fun!
239
thestarsarefallinginlines
The one piece of advice I wish I would

have known when I first began getting
serious about writing is omit needless
words. When you write, you should only
tell the reader what they need to know,
because your job is to entertain them and
not to bore them with meaningless details.
Because I didnt know this, I used to go off
on tangents a lot in some of my early
attempts at writing, which makes the
stories difficult for me to reread.
240
ticklemysnitch
My top 3 would be that becoming

distracted while writing doesnt mean you
are a bad writer, that not every writing tip
that you see will work for you, and that I
should have more patience with myself
because Im still learning. Its taken me
until recently to realize the last one. Ive
spent many years getting frustrated with
myself because I wasnt progressing 'fast
enough.
241
traumatizedbyfictionalcharacters
Take breaks from big projects so I

don't get burned out. Looking back, I
missed out on a lot of great opportunities
because I forced myself to write until I
didn't enjoy it anymore.
242
turdlockxfay
Writing does not have to be filled

with large, complicated level words.
Sometimes the most profound lines can be
written with the simplest words. If you find
yourself struggling to make the words look
pretty maybe try something a little more
straight forward.
Also, something else that I really need
to work on myself. Finish. No matter how
long it takes, finish. It doesnt seem that
important, until you actually finish and
learn a lot about yourself and your writing.
243
underlanefive
Sometimes you do not need to finish

your story to get what you need out of it.
244
whowrotewhat
Writing is your thing. Its okay to ask for
other peoples opinion on what you have written.
Its okay to want to get praise for having written
something or for writing because youd wanted
attention. But its important to remember that
just as you dont owe any of these people
anything, they dont owe you anything as well.
Write for yourself, to make yourself happy, sad,
whatever. And even when the going gets tough,
keep writing. Even if you think you suck, keep
writing. Dont stop writing if its really what you
love. Everything may not be perfect now but you
can always go back to it a few days, months, or
even years from now and you can make it perfect
then.
Also, I wish someone told me an easier way
to avoid passive voice earlier on. There would
always be awkward sentences in my writing and
I hadnt known how to work my way around it
until someone told me of this very wonderful
website: hemingwayapp.com. And I just heard of
it very recently, and Ive been writing for a while

now. Its been hard trying to adjust without using
passive voice by myself but the website really
helps and little by little, Im getting used to
avoiding passive voice.
245
withwords143
Sit down and write whatever comes

to you whenever it comes to you. Even if its
not the beginning of the story but the end
then thats ok just write. Most times I stall
in writing anything because I want to start
at the beginning but then I lose sight of
what I had actually wanted to write or I
end up not writing at all. I also edit as I go
in the sense that if I cant say something
exactly how I imagine it, then I cant move
past it and I need to remember just to
move on and that I can come back and edit
later. JUST WRITE!
246
writerlacenelson
For me, the tip I wish my 15-year-old

self had taken to heart is to read within
your genre. I was a fairly big reader, but I
almost never read books that were
anything like the stories I wrote. It seemed
like pointless advice, because writers
generally improve by, you know, WRITING.
But reading in my genre gave me so much
insight on what works and what doesnt.
There were just so many things I didnt
understand, not just about the market but
about my abilities as a whole. I think my
writing has improved more in the last year
or two than ever because I read in my
genre.
247
wynteruniverse
Don't worry about how' your

characters are at the beginning of a story.
Sometimes it takes no less than 20,000
words to hammer them out. When you've
finished your story, or have reached a point
where you're comfortable with who they
are and where they are going, it will be a
lot easier to edit the beginning. Let the
story carry your characters at first so you
can learn where they will take your story.
248
xxcrimsonalityxx
Make a detailed plan with plot points

before you actually sat down to write.
THANK YOU!
M. Kirin & Friends would like to thank everyone who
helped make this project a reality! Thank you to the 248
Tumblr writers who submitted their advice, and thank
you to the countless others who are reading this book!
And remember
It doesnt matter how old you are, or how many words
youve written, you can inspire others to write and to
MAKE GOOD ART!
WHO COMPILED THIS BOOK?
My name is M. Kirin. I live on the West Coast of the

United States, and I like to pretend my friends and I have a
sitcom. Whenever Im not writing, or talking about writing,
Im probably blogging about writing.
Okay, thats a bit of an exaggeration. Im also an avid
reader, gamer, and pixel-art maker. If you would like to know
more about what I do, or want to stay up to date on
upcoming releases, feel free to follow me on your preferred
social platform!
Writing Advice Blog: maxkirin.tumblr.com
Website: mkirin.com
Twitter: twitter.com/mistrekirin
Youtube: youtube.com/user/mistrekirin
Wattpad: wattpad.com/user/mkirin
Patreon: patreon.com/mkirin
Facebook: facebook.com/mkirinauthor
For anything else, feel free to shoot an email to:
mail@mkirin.com
WHO MADE THE COVER?
Plaguesworth is
A super evil scientist that resides from the darkest
depths beneath the sewers of Moss Landing. He spends most
of his time around his lab drawing abstract images and
creating strange monsters to do his evil deeds (mostly just
folding clothes).
Art Blog: plaguesworth.tumblr.com
Monster requests and braaaaains should be sent to:
plaguesworth@yahoo.com
FULL INDEX
URL | ADVICE NUMBER, NOT PAGE NUMBER
30secondstohogwartsonmars | 075
3fandom5u | 172
adeametea | 173
agentiz | 076
aitch22 | 174
ajspitstop | 077
alexandreadanne | 078
amateurserendipity | 175
amh1496 | 079
angelicxi | 080
angrybisexual | 081
another-phoenix | 002
apfeljoghurt | 176
apirateslifeistheoneforme | 002
apocellipsis | 003
apromptripost | 177
asweetheartcentral | 082
avataggart | 083
azulblueblau | 004
babycharmanderkeckleon | 178
barbex | 179
beatsparkthesodapop | 005
behind-closed-mirrors | 006
bellsprout | 180
besttardy | 007
bibliomatsuri | 008
bluepumpkinsandredribbons | 181
bonjovirocks-on-occasion | 084
bookishbrandi | 009
brokenteethleon | 182
buriedskies | 085
carryonmyfallencas | 010
censored-poet | 011
ceruleanicecubes | 086
chaoticcat-alicehoshina | 183
chaoticcuriosity | 012
characterandwritinghelp (Headless) | 013
characterandwritinghelp (Hunter) | 014
charlotte-granger | 087
chrrystal | 015
clevergirlhelps | 088
companionwolf | 016
darrenseverything | 089
degyfridou | 090
delennjadzia | 091
didsomeonesayventus | 185
dills09 | 092
dimadothis | 017
dreamintofly | 093
dreigiau | 184
ecladragon | 094
elumish | 095
emotional-infinity-waves | 186
ennuienjoyment | 018
enter-the-darkside | 187
envywine | 096
ereriislove | 097
evilqueenofmarvel | 098
fairy-tail-stands | 099
fezzesareelementarymywaywardson | 100
fighttillthelastgasp | 188
fixyourwritinghabits | 101
fromdreamstoplans | 102
furynz | 019
gaslampghost | 189
geekyzelda | 103
genesischi | 190
gerelephant | 104
giantnerdbutt | 020
glitterypumpkin | 191
goblinseatingrazzledazzleberries | 192
goingrampant | 021
gonilove | 105
grayabyss | 106
green-tea-bubble | 193
greydaysandbooks | 107
hannaadi88 | 108
heycharlie333 | 194
homeiswherethewritingis | 109
hopelesswanderer111 | 110
howcomplicatedisthat | 022
howlsmovingbookshop | 195
hthar | 196
i-am-dreaming-of-wonderland | 197
i-guess-you-could-say-that | 024
iammorethananame | 111
ianweston57 | 023
icanwritejunk | 198
icaughtfire31 | 199
ikfantasy-2 | 112
ilhueminati | 200
im-a-multi-fandom-mess | 201
imlivingondreamshere | 202
incognito-author | 203
incomprehensiblemetaphor | 204
infinitelyeffervesce | 025
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jeff-the-god-of-biscuits | 205
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knightofsuperior | 033
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krystal | 208
lahtili | 123
leanncar | 209
leioralindanlove | 210
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luna3141 | 034
maddiemasterofthemacabre | 211
makayladeanblog | 035
mamawaffle | 212
marthasmumblings | 126
meganator-xx | 213
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moosewearingplaid | 215
mossonhighheels | 129
mugiwaranomaxi | 037
nayapearlie | 038
nekithamajere | 216
never-touch-my-writing-pen | 039
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nibimatatabi | 041
niclo121212 | 218
notenufcaffeine | 042
octcade | 043
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oldordead | 219
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ookamiblitz | 048
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paradoxicaldragon | 220
penw0man | 222
philyosophy | 223
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puffingirl | 050
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rosainverno | 051
rosealiarook | 227
roxmariesbox | 228
rozey1261 | 229
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samiholloway | 231
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serroost | 053
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silvertsubasa | 054
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sorrowlicher | 056
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sounddrive | 235
spektors-story | 057
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spyke1985 | 148
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tamoranix | 059
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zebasiddiqui | 171

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With Advice From

Over 200 Tumblr Authors

A compilation of writing advice, tips, and inspiration.

Inspiration & Motivation

Tips & Tricks

Who Compiled This Book?

Who Made The Cover?

Full Index (Sorted Alphabetically)

Writers Unite | Page 3

INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION

The flower that blooms in

Writers Unite | Page 5

When I first started writing, I wish I

Writers Unite | Page 6

Writing isnt meant to please

Writers Unite | Page 7

I wish someone told me that you

Writers Unite | Page 8

I wish I'd known that, a few months

Writers Unite | Page 9

Its a beautiful desire, we writers have

Writers Unite | Page 10

Never compare yourself to other

Writers Unite | Page 11

I think the biggest advice I wish I had

Writers Unite | Page 12

bad. This is actually kind of awesome.'

Writers Unite | Page 14

Dont worry about being published;

Writers Unite | Page 15

Find your own voice. It doesnt matter

Writers Unite | Page 16

My best advice would be don't give

Writers Unite | Page 17

Write whatever you want. Write

Writers Unite | Page 18

It is ok to suck. You will mess up and

Writers Unite | Page 19

how quality that first chapter you write is if you never

Writers Unite | Page 21

When I first started writing I wish I

Writers Unite | Page 22

A piece of advice I wished Id had

Writers Unite | Page 23

The one piece of advice I wish I

Writers Unite | Page 24

All of the best works started out as a

Writers Unite | Page 25

Write recklessly! You cant revise

Writers Unite | Page 26

Writing doesn't have limits and you

Writers Unite | Page 27

All stories are good practice. Dont be

Writers Unite | Page 28

It's important for a writer to

Writers Unite | Page 29

Just because the first draft sucks

Writers Unite | Page 30

When I first started writing I wish I had

Writers Unite | Page 31

The only advice I can give to writers

Writers Unite | Page 32