I’ll say the quiet parts about writing out loud so you don’t have to
14 writing truths we all think but don't say
I’ll say the quiet parts about writing out loud so you don’t have to:
“I’m such a perfectionist” is code for “I haven’t started writing.”
Writers who say “I write every day” actually write once a week and think about writing the other six.
If you’re stuck on your opening sentence, you’re probably overthinking it. Just write the second sentence instead.
“I just love writing” is often said by people who hate editing.
A messy draft is better than a perfect outline. You can edit a mess, but you can’t edit a blank page.
Using “Just circling back” in an email to an editor doesn’t make you sound polite — it makes you sound desperate.
The phrase “It just wrote itself” is a lie. Writing is 80% staring at your screen, 10% googling synonyms, and 10% drinking coffee.
Deleting your Twitter account as a writer is the ultimate flex, but tweeting about deleting it? Sociopathic.
“The muse just wasn’t there today” is writer-speak for “I scrolled TikTok for three hours.”
People write to express themselves. Writers write because they know they’ll spiral if they don’t.
You are what you publish. If you haven’t published anything in 2 years, no one’s calling you a writer — except your LinkedIn profile.
Writing advice is mostly useless, but here’s some anyway: Start.
“Let’s revisit this in the new year” is editor-speak for “We’re passing, but we want you to feel hopeful for two months first.”
Writing is 90% procrastination disguised as “research.”
What did I miss?
Keep going-
Josh