{"id":576,"date":"2018-08-02T03:49:17","date_gmt":"2018-08-02T03:49:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.hassler.ec\/wp\/?p=576"},"modified":"2018-07-21T01:24:17","modified_gmt":"2018-07-21T01:24:17","slug":"how-to-be-successful-at-writing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.hassler.ec\/wp\/2018\/08\/02\/how-to-be-successful-at-writing\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Be Successful At\u00a0Writing"},"content":{"rendered":"
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What nobody\u2019s telling\u00a0you<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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It\u2019s the big question, ain\u2019t\u00a0it?<\/h3>\n

Periodically, other writers reach out to me to ask this. And because I\u2019m a dick but not like That Big Of A Dick, here are the answers I always\u00a0want<\/em>\u00a0to say but never do, directed at anybody and nobody in particular.<\/p>\n

My credentials<\/h3>\n

You want credentials, I ain\u2019t got em. If you want an MFA program or an editor or a publishing house, you\u2019ll have to look elsewhere.<\/p>\n

But: I\u00a0write<\/em>. And, if I may be so bold, I do it halfway okay.<\/p>\n

There are a shit-ton of things I\u2019m not good\u00a0at.<\/h4>\n

I love my bike but still couldn\u2019t tell you with absolute certainty how many cylinders it has. I have to pause to remember if it\u2019s 695 or 696 cc\u2019s. I fuck up popcorn. I crash after 9. I can\u2019t sing, I only white-girl dance, and I couldn\u2019t run a mile to save my life.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s one thing I think I can do halfway decently, and that is\u00a0write.<\/em><\/p>\n

Do I think I\u2019m the greatest writer in the world? No, I do not. But I also don\u2019t care. There are several heart-stopping writers out there whose meaty work makes my sides yearn and my jaw ache it\u2019s so fucking good, but there\u2019s also room enough not to compare. So somewhere amongst them, or betwixt them, or gazing adoringly up at them just like you, here I am to offer my opinion.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how to write:<\/p>\n

NON-NEGOTIABLE PREREQUISITE: WRITE<\/h3>\n

Because I mean\u2026\u00a0come on<\/em>.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not writing, all I have to say is:\u00a0are you being fucking serious rn?\u00a0<\/em>The fact that something so obvious even has to be stated makes me want to slam my own hand in a drawer.<\/p>\n

And yet sometimes other writers reach out wanting to ask BIG IMPORTANT QUESTIONS (i.e., THE ONE BIG SECRET they\u2019re convinced all writers except them are in on), phrased like:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s the single most important thing?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And right as I start to wonder if they Might Be Onto Something Here, I go check their post history, and half the time I see that they rarely write. So I then I point out this \u201cfantastical mystery\u201d (reminder: it\u2019s \u201cwrite\u201d) to them, like \u201cuh. yo dawg\u200a\u2014\u200athe most important part of writing is writing so, like, are you even trying?\u201d\u200a\u2014\u200aan \u201cinsight\u201d that leaves\u00a0them<\/em>\u00a0awestruck and\u00a0me<\/em>\u00a0wondering how they even function day to day.<\/p>\n

Because if you\u2019re asking how to succeed at writing but you\u2019re not even\u00a0writing<\/em>, stop wasting everyone\u2019s time with the rest. Like, don\u2019t ask \u201chow to be fashionable\u201d if you can\u2019t even manage to put pants on. Nobody is here to \u201clife\u201d for you.<\/p>\n

Equally amazing is when I say this and people immediately ask,<\/p>\n

\u201cHow often do\u00a0you<\/em>\u00a0write?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The long answer, which I\u2019ve never said to anyone but literally always think, is:<\/p>\n

\u201cDude, go look. You can see my post history.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But the short answer that I really say, because I\u2019m not\u00a0always<\/em>\u00a0a dick IRL, is:<\/p>\n

\u201cUh\u2026 pretty much every day.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But how much\u00a0I\u00a0<\/em>write doesn\u2019t matter. \u201cDaily\u201d doesn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not that the magic is \u201cdaily.\u201d It\u2019s that the magic is\u00a0doing.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The\u00a0cadence<\/em>\u00a0matters far less than the\u00a0continuous creation<\/em>, and the only reason I say \u201cdaily\u201d is because it has a nice rhythm, and I\u2019ve found that if you slip beyond it, one day quickly becomes three weeks quickly becomes two years.<\/p>\n

Why aren\u2019t you\u00a0writing?<\/h4>\n

I<\/em>\u00a0don\u2019t give a fuck\u200a\u2014\u200abut\u00a0you<\/em>\u00a0should.<\/p>\n

If you think this thing is about \u201cinspiration\u201d or \u201cmotivation,\u201d you\u2019re wrong. Inspiration and motivation are the greatest crock of the universe.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Everyone who got where they are did it even when they didn\u2019t feel like it. (And some of the most successful writers out there describe their work ethic as being that of\u00a0\u201cmules\u201d and \u201cbulldogs\u201d<\/a>\u200a\u2014\u200anot, I don\u2019t know, \u201cunicorns.\u201d)<\/p>\n

I always want to give this example, so I will: think of your work like orgasms.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t pedestalize that shit. And don\u2019t repress. Don\u2019t make it fucking precious and weird. Act like a normal human being, and make it a part of your normal life\u200a\u2014\u200aget shit worked out regularly, and it\u2019ll happen better. Some will be better worse than others. Obviously. But do it enough and it\u2019ll get better and more natural over time.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t like that? Fine. Here\u2019s one\u00a0from the book Art and Fear<\/a>, regarding a ceramics class that was divided into two groups.<\/p>\n

Half were graded on quantity; the other half on quality.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, came grading time and a curious fact emerged: the works of highest quality were all produced by the group being graded for quantity. It seems that while the \u2018quantity\u2019 group was busily churning out piles of work\u200a\u2014\u200aand learning from their mistakes\u200a\u2014\u200athe \u2018quality\u2019 group had sat theorizing about perfection<\/strong>, and in the end had little more to show for their efforts than grandiose theories and a pile of dead clay. If you think good work is somehow synonymous with perfect work, you are headed for big trouble. Art is human; error is human; ergo, art is error. Inevitably, your work (like, uh, the preceding syllogism\u2026) will be flawed. Why? Because you\u2019re a human being, and only human beings, warts and all, make art.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Don\u2019t talk about your craft.\u00a0Do\u00a0<\/em>your craft. In fact, if you stopped reading this article and instead wrote something, even a response to it, I\u2019d count that as a greater success.<\/p>\n

Writers\u00a0write<\/em>. They don\u2019t fuck around with writing, or abstract it into something it\u2019s not.<\/p>\n

ONCE YOU START\u00a0WRITING\u2026<\/h3>\n

A side\u00a0story<\/h4>\n

I am not good at Instagam.<\/p>\n

I do not \u201cInstagram\u201d as a casual user, and it was only through begrudging reluctance that I ever \u201cInstagrammed\u201d as a business owner. Even when I got better at the \u201cgame\u201d of it, that\u2019s all it ever was\u200a\u2014\u200aliterally just doing what I had to do to build a presence. I had no innate \u201cfeel\u201d for it, and I definitely never loved it, so I spent half my time researching \u201chow to\u2019s\u201d and the other half of my time blindly implementing the techniques.<\/p>\n

I learned a few things along the way:<\/p>\n

1.) Many resources give you the run-around about \u201cwhat works!\u201d<\/p>\n

Post at least once a day. Post at the right\u00a0time\u00a0<\/em>of day. Comment on other people\u2019s shit. Follow other people. Use hashtags. Use filters. Don\u2019t use filters. Etc.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And yeah, sure, it does.<\/p>\n

2.) But very few resources cited the first, most obvious step:<\/p>\n

Take good photos!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Because if you\u2019re not taking good photos, but you\u2019re still trying to implement all of the above, you\u2019re gonna run yourself into the ground.<\/p>\n

And again, I\u2019m no Instagram master, so yeah, maybe I\u2019m the asshole here. But like, check out these two random pictures of two different strangers\u2019 food and tell me which account you\u2019d put your money on\u200a\u2014\u200aregardless of anything else.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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My apologies to stranger on the left\u200a\u2014\u200aI\u2019m sure that dish was delicious.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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If you want to optimize hashtags for slop, go for it. But if you ask me, you\u2019d be better off taking better photos.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s the same for writing.<\/p>\n

90% OF SUCCESS: WRITE\u00a0WELL.<\/h3>\n

The equivalent to \u201ctake a good fucking photo!\u201d on Instagram\u200a\u2014\u200aby far the most important thing.<\/p>\n

The biggest question you should be asking yourself once you start is:<\/p>\n

Are you even any\u00a0good?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cWrite Well\u201d Rule #1: HAVE something to\u00a0say<\/h3>\n

Most writing is bad because the writer says absolutely nothing.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

You\u2019re not sure who\u2019s speaking\u200a\u2014\u200ais this even a\u00a0person<\/em>? Nobody knows! The work is lifeless and limp.<\/p>\n

If you come at writing like some checklist to print out and pencil in, you\u2019re gonna have a bad time. And this is one of the biggest reasons so many people do.<\/p>\n

Share something. Success is people relating to it. And nobody except a cardboard box can relate to writing that reads like cardboard.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do I know what to\u00a0write?\u201d<\/h4>\n

This is one of the weirdest questions I get asked. Because like,\u00a0wow, bud.<\/em><\/p>\n

Whatever is in your head. Whatever matters most. Whatever you\u2019re thinking. Whatever is begging to be put on paper. Whatever is hanging on you as you try to go about your day. Whatever is pulling you away from meetings. Whatever is tripping you while you walk. Whatever is distracting you from everyday life. Whatever is\u00a0THERE.\u00a0<\/em>I mean,\u00a0damn.<\/em><\/p>\n

Is there truly nothing there? Maybe not. I mean, seems like that\u2019s what I\u2019m hearing\u2026 and if that\u2019s the case:\u00a0why in God\u2019s name would you want to be a writer??<\/strong><\/p>\n

Like, I\u2019m an uncoordinated buffoon who can only white-girl dance, and you don\u2019t see me trying to cut it as a backup dancer. For good reason.<\/p>\n

Be honest with yourself.<\/p>\n

\u201cWrite Well\u201d Rule #2: Fucking SAY\u00a0it<\/h3>\n

As Mary Karr wrote,<\/p>\n

\u201cMost memoirs fail because of voice. It\u2019s not distinct enough to sound alive and compelling.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

a.) Do not operate from a place of\u00a0fear<\/h4>\n

Anthony Moore<\/a>\u00a0just put out\u00a0a great piece<\/a>\u00a0on what to do when people don\u2019t like you. Short answer?<\/p>\n

\u201cUnlearn your constant need to be\u00a0liked.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Just three months into writing on Medium, a total stranger on the internet called me their \u201cleast favorite writer and person in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

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(This account is private\u00a0now.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I wasn\u2019t even mad. That\u2019s amazing.<\/p>\n

There are like 172 points in this post alone where I\u2019ll probably piss someone off, and I know I can\u00a0always<\/em>\u00a0count on a few angry comments. People @ me all the time, hand-wringing like, \u201cI am unnerved by and unappreciative of your icky four-letter words!\u201d Conversely, as recently as this week alone, someone commented, simply:\u00a0\u201cfuck you.\u201d<\/a>\u00a0(And these are the easy ones!)<\/p>\n

And to all of them, I\u2019m just like:\u00a0hokey dokey, dawg!!<\/em><\/p>\n

Like, uh, you\u2019re the one wandering around\u00a0my<\/em>\u00a0house. You can go home any time you want, weirdo. Lol.<\/p>\n

When you write for the right reasons, you kinda cease to care about some rando\u2019s remarks.<\/p>\n

Also:\u00a0there are plenty of successful writers out there that I find drab as plaster.<\/strong>\u00a0I won\u2019t name them, but they do exist. And I don\u2019t so much \u201chate\u201d their work as I \u201cgently set it down and scooch it away\u201d like a cup of cold, day-old, grassy green tea or\u00a0tiny pile o\u2019 dried chamomile buds.<\/a><\/p>\n

Does this mean anything empirical about their work? Fuck no. (Or, in their words:\u00a0pish posh\u200a\u2014\u200ats\u2019ok!<\/em>) Tons of people adore them.<\/p>\n

We are two ships passing in the dark, and\u00a0it does not matter.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

If you keep fucking around with the fear of what everyone else is gonna think, you\u2019re gonna mind-fuck yourself into a hole.<\/p>\n

b.) Operate from a place of\u00a0love<\/h4>\n

Here\u2019s a secret: it\u2019s not about \u201cignoring the haters,\u201d or \u201clearning to be okay with them\u201d or doing anything in relation to them\u200a\u2014\u200aor living in a vacuum.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s about: VALUING YOURSELF.<\/p>\n

If you care enough about\u00a0you<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0your<\/em>\u00a0experience and\u00a0your<\/em>\u00a0being and\u00a0your<\/em>person and\u00a0your<\/em>\u00a0life, then: measuring yourself up against some ass-hat on the internet or caring about some unhappy stranger\u2019s opinion more than your own? Honey, for real? That\u2019s a literal no-brainer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWrite Well\u201d Rule #3: LIKE saying\u00a0it.<\/h3>\n

Writers don\u2019t write because they like the \u201cidea\u201d of being a writer. They write because it\u2019s their\u00a0\u201cshit sandwich.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWrite Well\u201d Rule #4: Say it\u00a0WELL.<\/h3>\n

Grammar and shit.<\/p>\n

Of the four rules, this is the one you can fuck around with and still be okay. (Proof: me.)<\/p>\n

But you can never,\u00a0ever<\/em>\u00a0make it by upholding only this one and letting the other three slide. (Not outside of high school essays, anyway. Sadly for your gold star binder.)<\/p>\n

THE OTHER 10% OF SUCCESS: EVERYTHING ELSE<\/h3>\n

i.e., Titles, post length, SEO, process, and all that other\u00a0bullshit<\/h4>\n

Look\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

Sometimes writers wanna have these lengthy discussions about \u201csecrets\u201d and \u201cstrategies\u201d and \u201cbehind the scenes\u201d and I\u2019m just like\u00a0\u201cdear gahd pls no\u201d<\/a>(fucking gag me with a spoon bc no thank you!)<\/p>\n

And, shit, I\u2019m probably the asshole here. Because\u200a\u2014\u200asee above\u200a\u2014\u200aI never set out to \u201cguerrilla\u201d this shit. So, yeah, maybe if I\u2019d been doing something other than \u201cjust writing\u201d I\u2019d have more to say about this shit, and maybe I\u2019m missing out on \u201ca lot\u201d by not having it. Who\u2019s to say?!<\/p>\n

Except for the fact that:\u00a0lolol my #1 goal is and always has been:\u00a0<\/em>to write.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

You wanna find resources on SEO and titles and post length and timing? Go for it! I\u2019m not your gal, and I\u2019d never say that should be your focus\u200a\u2014\u200aespecially if you\u2019re optimizing slop\u200a\u2014\u200abut there are plenty out there if that\u2019s your route.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut\u2026 what matters the\u00a0most?\u201d<\/h3>\n

Well, champ\u200a\u2014\u200ashit<\/em>. You got an entire post on there not being short cuts and you want a short cut?<\/p>\n

Cool\u200a\u2014\u200athe secret short cut to writing success is:\u00a0Write<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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SOURCE:\u00a0https:\/\/medium.com\/@krisgage\/how-to-be-successful-at-writing-3561a55b081<\/a><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Kris Gage<\/a><\/h3>\n
Motorcyclist, Software Manager, Drink-Slinger of the South ?email me and everything else: www.krisgage.com<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What nobody\u2019s telling\u00a0you It\u2019s the big question, ain\u2019t\u00a0it? Periodically, other writers reach out to me to ask this. And because […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":499,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,39,47,21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-576","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bloghassler-ec","category-escritores","category-medium","category-productividad"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.hassler.ec\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/576","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.hassler.ec\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.hassler.ec\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.hassler.ec\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.hassler.ec\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=576"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blog.hassler.ec\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/576\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":579,"href":"https:\/\/blog.hassler.ec\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/576\/revisions\/579"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.hassler.ec\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/499"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.hassler.ec\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.hassler.ec\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.hassler.ec\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}