Seeds of Inspiration: Write What You Want, How You Want

We’re getting ready for Camp NaNoWriMo this April! Every writer carries seeds of inspiration; today, Santana García, a NaNoWriMo participant, shares a few quotes that shaped her approach to writing:

Maya Angelou once stated that there was no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside one’s mind. So when someone decides to become a writer, magic flows through the paper, software or (clean) napkin where the words are being transcribed. But what happens when you feel like you don’t have an untold story inside you? What happens when there is no epic adventure or philosophical thought to share?

We, as aspiring authors, tend to be something else, too: readers. When struggling with what to write about, how your story will develop, who your characters will be, there’s nothing better than to simply take a step back, close your eyes, and think about your favorite books. Your favorite texts. The best adventures and plot-lines you’ve ever read. What do they all have in common? Which factors went into making you consider them your favorite books? 

There are two main pieces of writing advice on which I base my entire writing (and career) philosophy. 

The first one is by the genius Austin Kleon—whose books I would recommend 1000%—and it goes: “Write the book you want to read”. This quote stuck with me since the first time I read it, and has been the guideline to all of my story outlines. Nothing else matters but what you want; what do you like? How would you like the story to develop, the characters to grow, the world to be? 

You novel, your story, your texts are yours; whether you decide to publish or share them, or to simply keep them in secret, they’re still yours. They’ll be part of your personality, of who you are, of what you love and what you prefer. So forget about what the world needs, what the genre tendencies are or what would sell more, and focus on what you wish existed in the reading world. Write carelessly and write with your hands. Put your heart into your story first, then, when you revise, let your eyes and brain steer. Until then, write exactly what you wish to read.

The second piece of advice is from the author Lev Grossman and is, honestly, going to gainsay absolutely everything I just said. “Don’t take anyone’s writing advice too seriously”. 

This quote speaks for itself, it means, yes, you can take someone’s advice or practice their tricks but by no means are you obligated to follow any kind of template. This kind of ties in with the idea behind Kleon’s quote: no one can tell you what can and can’t do except yourself. Even your favorite author can be wrong sometimes.  

Break archetypes. 

Defy genres. 

Basically, write whatever the hell you want, however the hell you want.

Santana García stays busy as a supervillain with a not-so-secret identity. On her downtime, you can find her drinking gallons of coffee while attempting to get her marketing degree. If anyone asks, Santana is just a nineteen-year-old, northern Mexican lost girl who writes poetry and is struggling with her first novel. She knows nothing about the bank break-in from last night.

Top photo by Flickr user DanieleCivello.