BY SHAUNTEL SIMPER
DISCLAIMER: If the following advice seems frivolous, awesome. I’m genuinely happy for you! Go out and write and enjoy every moment of it.
To the rest of us, consider this: when is the last time you wrote something for you? It’s far too common to get psyched out and think too much on what everybody else will think. So, instead, begin with the intention of never showing anybody. You are the sole audience member—what do you want to read?
You see, once upon a time, a younger Shauntel collaborated with a friend on a story writing prompt that was never meant to see the light of day. It became somewhat of a boredom buster, and the story building process continued steadily, with no real drive or deadline other than the occasional poke from her friend to get her to finish the next section and send it back for said friend to continue, and so forth.
Our intention was never to hit 500,000 words on that silly thing. It took two years. But it happened, quite accidentally. And it’s one of those little sources of secret pride I hold about myself.
There is a time and place for angst and dramatics in the writing process. Getting emotionally invested in your story often results in raw, compelling material, the likes of which often best serve to inspire and captivate an audience.
But . . . that’s some serious work. And it’s exhausting. If that’s all you do, writing stops being fun.
That’s my keyword for today: fun. Writing is supposed to be fun! And sometimes we get too bogged down in our own melodramatic minds to see that.
Remember that sci-fi epic you dreamt up when you were twelve? Flesh it out, give it a name, and enjoy yourself. Is it clichéd? Dull? No one else has to even see it. Just have fun with it.
Remember that fluffy romance you started writing when you were fifteen? Give it an ending! Work through the kinks or keep it campy. That’s up to you.
Remember when the ending to that one TV show failed you? Go write a new one. That subplot that was too terrible for words? Fix it. Those two characters that were meant to be but never seemed to have a chance? Write them a happily ever after.
Now, hide it away for no one to see. Keep it as your hobby, your de-stressor. Having something that’s just for you can be a precious thing. Or, don’t. It’s your choice. If it seems like the right thing, send it into the world. Maybe your future best-seller is masquerading as that Twilight alternate ending you thought of (see: Fifty Shades of Grey).
Pet projects can be fun, and they can break up the monotony when your novel feels dull. When it comes to writing, any practice is good practice. And, if you’re feeling just a bit brave, a little collaborative writing never hurt anybody. Then it’s two people who have a secret hobby, and that’s always more fun.
Shauntel Simper just returned from the literal Last Frontier, Alaska, and is excited to put her editor boots back on. She graduated from Eastern Arizona College but plans on continuing her education before life gets crazy, and currently lives in a little apartment in Arizona with too many roommates and works more jobs than you do. She really did write a 500,000 word story, and, no, you can’t read it.
Shauntel’s diving headlong into work on Mechanized Masterpieces 2: An American Anthology, slated for release in February 2015.