4 Crucial Newbie Writing Lessons From Famous Authors — and Why You Should Ignore Them
By: Dhruv Sharma
Tags: Writing Life, Lovecraft, Advice, Margaret Atwood, Writing Tips

4 Crucial Newbie Writing Lessons From Famous Authors — and Why You Should Ignore Them

An imaginary exploration of writing advice, self-discovery, and time travel

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

With another year of writing behind me, I feel pressured to change my ways. Like most underdog writers, I wonder if there’s a secret sauce that will make me go viral overnight. I try my best to reach a daily word limit goal. However, I can’t help but wonder if:

That’s enough to become a top writer?

That’s enough to have a loyal following I can sell weekly subscriptions to?

Well, I don’t know.

So I’ve decided to seek answers from some of the greatest writers who have walked on this planet. While I’m at it, I’m going to cross borders, shift the boundaries of cultures, and defy the laws of time. So please bear with me while I merge fiction with reality.

Providence, Rhode Island-H.P Lovecraft

It’s the 1900s. Providence might seem like a strange place to start my writing journey, but I know I’ll find answers here. After all, it’s Lovecraft-land.

I toss my caution to the wind and aimlessly float through the city’s verdant, historic East Side. After visiting every nook and cranny, I come across several writers who have their own advice to share. Unfortunately, nothing sticks with me. I want something more.

That’s when I fatefully run into a body of writers who call themselves “The Lovecraft Circle.” They point me in the direction of their revered guru, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, who might have the answers I seek.

I arrive at Lovecraft’s private residence where I finally meet him after waiting for a bit. We cordially talk for a while, and when the opportunity strikes, I ask him:

“If I may ask? What would be your writing advice to a newbie writer like me?”

Almost with no expressions, he inhales and then replies:

“No aspiring author should content himself with a mere acquisition of technical rules. … All attempts at gaining literary polish must begin with judicious reading, and the learner must never cease to hold this phase uppermost. In many cases, the usage of good authors will be found a more effective guide than any amount of precept. A page of Addison or of Irving will teach more of style than a whole manual of rules, whilst a story of Poe’s will impress upon the mind a more vivid notion of powerful and correct description and narration than will ten dry chapters of a bulky textbook.”

Learning through reading

The vital osmosis of reading and writing is stressed upon by every successful writer out there. Rightfully so. Lovecraft, too, emphasized learning through reading.

We live in a world where writing courses are aplenty, but there’s value in only a few. As a writer, you can spend hundreds of dollars on masterclasses, self-proclaimed gurus, and silly classroom lessons. But the real writing lessons are in those dusty ten dollar books that rest on your bookshelf.

The same goes for writing on Medium or on other online platforms and publications. Nothing beats the writing lessons that you can learn from reading the works of top writers on respective platforms.

Yasnaya Polyana, Tula, Russia-Leo Tolstoy

I follow Lovecraft’s advice and read extensively. As a result, the tedium of my days stretch further with every page I flip. I soon realize, though, that I am unsatiated. I need something more. I want writing advice that would lead me to my pot of gold.

So I pack my bags and delve into the unknown again. This time around, I find myself in Russia. Somewhere in the late 1800s.

Through the warm alleys, flower gardens, and orchards of the Yasnaya Polyana, I make my way to Tolstoy’s manor house. From a distance, I spot his white verandah where his coat rests on a chair. Right outside the verandah, I see Tolstoy taking a walk amid birch trees.

Almost as if he was expecting me, he strikes a conversation. We talk about everything and nothing. Soon, the right moment comes by and I ask:

“If I may ask? What would be your writing advice to a newbie writer like me?”

A little taken aback, he says,

“…I won’t answer your questions, or rather interrogation, about writing, because they are all empty questions. The one thing I can say to you is to try as hard as you can not to be a writer, or only to be one when you can no longer help being one.”

You can steal ideas, but your originality lies within

Lovecraft’s advice taught me that I should study the works of other authors to develop my writing intellect. But Tolstoy’s advice adds another layer to this — writing intellect and creativity are inseparable, but not the same.

Writing intellect comes from studying and learning from the stories of old. Creativity comes from within.

You can develop your writing intellect all you want. But that will only make you more of an imitator and less of an original. Your DNA, your past experiences, your surroundings, and your unique human spirit make you a complete writer.

That’s the reason why not every reader is a writer, but every writer is a reader. The more you write, the more you merge your originality with your intellect. In turn, you develop a unique writing style.

Toronto, Ontario-Margaret Atwood

Some things are easier said than done. Tolstoy’s advice inspired me to write, but I have nothing to write about. No life-changing experiences. No tragedies. No moments of pure bliss. No significant memories.

What should I write? — I type on my blank canvas. That’s when it hits me: maybe, just maybe, I need more answers. One more piece of advice from a great writer and I might finally become the writer I want to be.

The journey now takes me to Toronto. I enter a neighborhood that carries a fresh, earthy breeze. Admiral Road, as they call it, leads me to Margeret Atwood’s home.

After a brief introduction, I choose not to beat around the bush. So I ask her with a little hesitation:

“If I may ask? What would be your writing advice to a newbie writer like me?”

She politely explains,

“Any form of human creativity is a process of doing it and getting better at it…[Writers] don’t usually peak in their 20s. It’s usually quite a lot later on. Why is that? Because writing is about people and story is about people, and you know more about people and their stories as you get older…you see more and you experience more.”

Don’t rush through the process; just write

I often find myself feeling envious of other writers on Medium. Especially Tim Denning. He seems to have so many personal experiences worthy of being shared with the world. I, on the other hand, struggle to find ideas. When I look back at my life, it feels rather tedious and dull.

Why would someone want to read about that?

But that’s the thing about writing. You can write about anything and everything. And you can still make it sound interesting. You can even steal ideas from other writers and give them your own little personal touch.

I resonate with Margeret Atwood’s advice on a personal level because I’m in my 20s. My scope of understanding things is very limited.

At this point, all I can do is write what I know. So that when I have better stories to tell in the future, I’ll have the writing skills to tell them.

Tuscany, Italy-Muriel Spark

Margeret Atwood’s advice got me into a good writing habit. I now write about every idea that crosses my mind. And well, things have been going quite well. Even so, I feel something’s missing.

My concentration often dwindles and I find myself staring at the walls instead of writing. I guess it’s time for another dose of writing advice.

Unsure of what I’m seeking this time, I reach Italy. My goal is to meet Muriel Spark, the famous Scottish author of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, The Girls of Slender Means, and seven other novels.

In her dimly lit library that’s replete with books of every genre, I ask her the same nagging question:

“If I may ask? What would be your writing advice to a newbie writer like me?”

After a brief pause, she bluntly smiles and responds,

“You need a cat. Do you happen to have a cat?”

“Wait, what…”

All you need is a quiet, lovable companion

Out of all the writing advice I’ve received, this one’s by far the strangest. But if you think about it, there sure is a special bond between writers and cats. Other than Spark, writers like Edgar Allan Poe, Cleveland Amory, T.S. Eliot, and many others also owned cats.

I would like to think that it’s the mysteriousness of the felines that intrigues creatives. Or as Spark explains, there’s something truly tranquil about a cat laying next to you on your desk.

Even if you’re not a cat person, get a dog or any other domesticated animal. Loving an animal makes you feel emotions that you’ve never felt before. That’s exactly what separates good writing from great writing, dosen’t it?

Good writing makes you feel emotions you know, great writing makes you feel things you’ve never felt before.