Here’s What I’d Tell Myself If I Had To Start Over In Writing

/ Stuart Danker
Start Over Climb - Michal Matlon

A person climbing up rocky stairs on a mountain

Sometimes I feel like a sham, giving out writing advice. Maybe it’s because I haven’t achieved much through writing lately. Or maybe I’ve been relying too much on goat sacrifices rather than actual skill.

Who am I to tell people how to approach their art, am I right?

But what I can do, however, is tell my younger self what to do. And perhaps by doing so, I can inspire you to reassess your writing as well.

So today, I present you, the unsolicited writing advice I’d give myself if I had to start over with writing.

1. It’s not your work, it’s your mood

Sometimes the work you feel is the best to ever leave your head turns out to be crap the very next day. That happens often if you enjoy writing drunk. And boy did you love getting drunk, oh young Stuart.

Conversely, you could read a piece you wrote five years ago and think wonder how you were able to write so eloquently then.

Moral of the story? Don’t waste your time judging your own work.

You won’t know this yet, but you’ll feel differently about your work during different times of the day, let alone throughout the years. That’s because you’re human. And you’ll feel very different after working out compared to, say, doom-scrolling Instagram for an hour.

Which is why it’s always best to work on yourself. Cleaning your house, exercising, eating right, and sorting your finances may seem like distractions, but they all help grow your self-worth.

And no amount of bad prose can stop someone who’s feeling unstoppable from reaching their literary goals.

So always take care of yourself.

2. Always be shipping

Sharing is important. Not just for the instant feedback, but so that you learn to put out complete products on display.

Because you can’t share half a poem, right?

Seth Godin has this phrase: “Ship often. Ship lousy stuff, but ship. Ship constantly.” I know this is tough to do as a writer, especially when nobody is watching, but ship anyway.

You’ll write a novel you think is complete crap, and you won’t think it belongs in the writing competition you’ll send it to. But you’ll be a published author solely because you shipped your work.

So don’t let your stories just float around in the digital ether. Actually put them up somewhere, even if it’s just on your Facebook profile.

3. Speed isn’t bad

The writing industry is governed mostly by deadlines. And thanks to this, you’ll learn just how quickly you can write. Your record will be about two thousand words a day. With research. While on the road. For 16 hours. Daily.

This is when you’ll also learn that most of your income would come from these last-minute stories. The work you delay till the eleventh hour, then scramble to put together one hour before deadline.

Yet the editors seem to like these stories. They get published without a hitch. This includes the short stories you write and send in on a whim.

The ‘art’ you’ve spent years working on, however? You complete them only to find zero appreciation for your work.

I know that you appreciate the artistic side of the craft, young Stuart, but sometimes, you can’t judge your work by the time it took to produce them. Because others can’t too.

So don’t disqualify your art just because it only took you ten minutes to create.

4. It’s not all art

So you want to write a novel. Do you even know how many words you need? Right, at least 80,000.

I know that the life of an author may seem romantic to you, but spending your time creating memes about how hard it is to write isn’t actual writing. And you’ll have to reach 80,000 words somehow.

While writing is a right-brained pursuit, you’ll still have to employ your analytic skills to the craft. Because you don’t complete a manuscript by diddling around with three sentences a day.

Break down your goals. And don’t squint your eyes the way you’d do when looking at your bank account either. Actually face reality and plan a way to dig yourself out of that hole.

That means 80,000 words can be broken down into 1,000 words per day. And by doing that, you’ll have a first draft ready in three months.

Can’t do that? Maybe try 500 words and double the time. Can’t do that either? Well then you’re just leaving things to chance. And you’re being a dreamer instead of someone who’s actually working on their goals.

So don’t just wish for your goals to fall into your lap. Create a real plan and stick to it.

5. One small step is still a step

Having lectured you on having a plan, it’s also important to remember that not every day will be the same. You’ll get sick sometimes, and you’ll totally be swamped with work in some phases of your life.

But it’s important to remember that during these times of low productivity, it’s still possible to take one step towards your goals.

Maybe you can’t write as many words today, and that’s fine. Because you’re still one step closer than you were yesterday. And on most days, it’s that tiny step that’ll nudge you into running your marathon for the day.

6. It doesn’t matter (Part I)

Throughout your career, you’ll spend tons of money trying to find the perfect writing instrument. Because in your mind, having a sleek new laptop helps with the word count.

That couldn’t be further from the truth.

Still, you’ll keep purchasing fountain pens, mechanical keyboards, premium paper, word processors, and freaking easels, in the name of ‘improving your craft’.

But in the end, it’s all about the words. And you’ll write as well on a Blackberry as you would through voice dictation software.

Don’t take your process so seriously that you forget what the main goal is. And that’s to simply share your stories with the world.

So focus on your art. Not the paintbrush.

7. It doesn’t matter (Part II)

When you stop to think of it, you’ve basically made a living out of arranging words on paper. That’s all there is to it.

Writing isn’t a life-or-death vocation. You don’t lose your literary privileges just because you published a typo in the newspapers. Putting out ‘terrible’ writing doesn’t change who you are as a person.

All the worst things that can happen to you won’t change you either. You could lose your blog. Get cancelled. Get fired from your job. And you know that you’ll still continue to write.

And in the end, that’s all that matters.

So don’t let your fears stop you from doing what you really want. There’s nothing else you’d rather do anyways.

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40 thoughts on “Here’s What I’d Tell Myself If I Had To Start Over In Writing”

  1. Pingback: Starting Over 3: In Your Writing – Eileen Moynihan Author

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  3. I learned that I was essentially weaving in and out of traffic and ending up at the stoplight with everyone who went forward at a regular pace. I’m thankful for a few bad turns, however. I truly loved my bicycle. It was my symbol. I had no choice but the bicycle and multiple job. I wish I would have gotten a GED instead of being tormented at my HS, too.

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  4. I was thinking about writing about this, kind of. My title would be, “When English Hurts.” I had a tough time with life’s trials as a teenager and young adult. I’d work, go to class, work, and then ride my bicycle back to the starting place.

    I had an Edgar Allan Poe class that I ended up dropping. I went psycho on a paper. He wrote back that I should respect Poe and the classics. I dropped every class that semester, and I put my life in the worthless places of society. I didn’t drink, party with friends, or do much besides thinking about what would happen to me in dead end land.

    When I went home, Poe was the last thing I wanted to read about. A slightly mania gripped hold, and I told my instructor I was dropping with a pompous voice, and he was like, whatever. During a story, he did look at me when talking about unusual eyes. The stare of death that used to frighten people. You don’t know how many times people have thought that I was in CID and other places. Not anymore, and I have to wear cheap glasses now.

    Back to it, I didn’t say that my mental health was in a place where Poe was worse than the shoestrings they take away from us in the wards. Yes, everyone, I needed a safe space or 5 hours of sleep. I’m sick of them pushing us so much and expecting so much. We’re like robots going to stupid places due to cliches and commands.

    BTW, it’s been a while, but Poe seemed to be asking for help a few times himself. Another student pointed that out in the Intro to English Literature I had to take. I accidentally skipped it.

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  5. Great post always Stuart. It’s amazing what crap I turn out at times that get’s rave reviews and others that I think are awesome leave me in my chair with no standing ovation. 🤣

    Great lines of advice here….👏👏👏👏

    “All the worst things that can happen to you won’t change you either. You could lose your blog. Get cancelled. Get fired from your job. And you know that you’ll still continue to write.

    And in the end, that’s all that matters.”

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  7. Hi. You know your present and past selves very well. And you know what’s important and what isn’t. This piece of advice really jumped out at me: “So don’t just wish for your goals to fall into your lap. Create a real plan and stick to it.” Have a good week. Take care.

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  8. To your first point, about how you’ll feel differently about your writing not just week to week but hour to hour – I agree. Sometimes I look back at old posts and cringe a bit. But on the other hand, I have posts that I continue to love year after year. And even better when I look at my stats and see someone has read one of my old favorites! It doesn’t happen often, which probably makes the feeling even sweeter.

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    • It’s something I discovered about myself when I realised how differently I see my body during the day versus the night. I applied that to my writing and voila, I’ve realised that beauty is in the eye of the beholder—depending on the time of the day, lol.

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  10. ‘So don’t disqualify your art just because it only took you ten minutes to create.’ Guilty! I did this yesterday. You always manage to expose my inner thoughts. Thanks Stuart. 😉

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  11. ‘So focus on your art, not your paintbrush’. I like this sentence. Seldom will we get anywhere unless we put in the work, practice until perfect. Same could apply to the following

    Focus on your running goals, not the latest Nike shoes, etc
    Focus on the cooking instructions and practise cooking the dish, not on the mayer or corelli cook ware that seem too pretty to use
    Focus on doing the shitty work that your boss wants done his way, not whine about why that matters…etc

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  12. All really good points, especially about the simple industry ie hard work required. This particularly made me laugh: “I know that the life of an author may seem romantic to you, but spending your time creating memes about how hard it is to write isn’t actual writing.”

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    • And I’m super guilty of doing all the peripheral tasks instead of actual writing, so I definitely know how alluring they can be, lol. Glad that you relate. You must do the same too, eh?

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  14. It Doesn’t Matter Part 1 reminded me of something I heard in an organizational course years ago. The person said that buying a tool like a planner will not make you organized, and that you use those tools because you are organized. The same goes for writing. All the tools in the world won’t make you a writer if you don’t sit down and write. As you astutely point out, it’s about the words, not the tools!

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  15. This blog post is very motivating Stuart and it is grilling us to be the best Writers despite the challenges along the way such as working on a deadline since the writing industry it is all about that meeting the deadline and submitting your craft🔥🔥🔥🙌

    Also, as usual I like how creative you are in curating those subtopics such as these ones: “Sleep isn’t that bad, It is not your work it is your mood, it doesn’t matter part 1 & 2 and so on. Lastly, the message that got to me it is this ” It is about the writing not the paintbrush”, that is so true🙌💯

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  16. I like posts where we imagine what we’d tell the younger versions of ourselves. I do much of that, but it’s not usually about writing.

    Lots of wisdom here, Stuart. The beauty of writing is everyone has to find what works for them. The two things I never tire of hearing about are: 1. Where did this writing idea originate? Were you inspired by events in your life? 2. How has your writing process changed over the years? What did you do before that no longer seems to work as well? What new element have you started making a part of your normal writing process?

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  17. I just finished reading your latest blog post, and I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed it. Your honest and relatable writing style really spoke to me. I appreciate the advice you gave to your younger self, especially about not judging your own work too harshly and the importance of self-care. Sharing your work and taking small steps towards your goals are excellent points that resonated with me. Your reminder to focus on the words and stories, rather than getting caught up in external factors, was refreshing. Overall, your post was inspiring and reminded me that writing is a journey we all navigate with ups and downs. Keep up the great work, Stuart!

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  18. Speed isn’t bad… amen to that. I work best- actually, only ever really work- when my feet are held to the fire. Give me time and space to faff about and procrastinate and that’s all I’ll do.

    Today though, I very much enjoyed doing so by reading your post.

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    • Omg that’s exactly how I feel. The only times I’ve stepped up was when I TRULY couldn’t afford to waste another minute in my day. On the less busier days, I actually get less done. Maybe I can put that to use somehow.

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  19. I think there is some really good advice here, Stuart. However, I don’t think I could give the same advice to my younger self because i’ve really just started writing. I think, though that all of this advice would be of benefit for anyone starting out. For my younger self, I would say to believe in yourself and to just to start writing. Don’t let others put you off. Thanks for the insights Stuart.

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  20. Great post Stuart! I think we could all learn alot about ourselves if we did something like this. I’ve often heard the question “What advice would you give to your younger self?”, but only ever gave a short answer. Writing it out like this sounds almost therapeutic. Thanks

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  21. Are you sure that you were talking to the younger Stuart, and not me?

    Anyway, I think writing daily about 1500 words every day has been good for me. After all, that is how I managed to build up a massive stock of chapters for my web serial.

    I do hope I will be able to write a post like this one in the future someday.

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    • I don’t see why you can’t write a post like this now. Especially with your daily diet of 1,500 words a day. That’s a respectable amount, really. So I’d say you’re doing much more than the average writer out there. Kudos to you, Tanish!

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