But I thought I’d reiterate given some of the email I’ve been receiving:
There is no wrong way to write a novel.1
Please take all the advice I’m writing here with a grain of salt. Keep what works; throw away what doesn’t.
Hell, I don’t do the vast majority of what I’m suggesting here. Many of my working methods are weird, superstitious, or unhygenic, and thus unlikely to work for anyone but me. What I’m offering here are suggestions, tips, and ideas that I think might work for the person asking the question.
They might not.
Writing is a strange and varied game. There are a million and one ways—more!—to write a novel. I’m just scratching the surface of possibilities in this series of posts.
If you don’t agree that’s fine. But, truly, there’s no need to be writing me yelly emails to express that disagreement. It’s a waste of your time and mine. The internet is a vast space, there’s more than enough room for you to write your own series of writing advice posts. Or to comment here expressing—politely—your disagreement.
Why, there’s room enough for all our crazy advice. Bless the internets!
- Well, using a stylus made from the shinbone of your enemy, and writing in the blood of vrigins on skin torn from a copyeditor, who really annoyed you—that would be wrong. Don’t do that. [↩]