Elizabeth Gilbert’s free 10-step Writing Academy:
1) Tell your story TO someone. Pick one person you love or
admire or want to connect with and write the whole thing directly to them —like
you're writing a letter. This will bring forth your natural voice. Whatever you
do, do NOT write to a demographic. Ugh. ❤️
2) Start at the beginning of the story, write what happened, and
keep going until you get to the end. ❤️
3) Use radically simple sentences. ❤️
4) Don't worry if it's good; just finish it. Whether or not your
project is good, you'll be a different person at the end of it, and that’s
always worth doing. ❤️
5) Don't write with the aim of changing anybody's life. That
will lead to heavy, irritating prose. Just share what delights or enrages or
fascinates you. If somebody’s life is changed by it, that’s a bonus. ❤️
6) Whenever you can, tell stories instead of explaining stuff.
Humans love stories, and we hate having stuff explained to us. Use Jesus as an
example: He spoke almost exclusively in parables and allowed everybody to draw
their own lessons from his great storytelling. And he did very well. ❤️
7) Your work doesn’t have to be any particular length or written
for any particular market. It doesn’t have to even be seen by another human
being. How and if to publish your work is a problem for another day. For today,
just write. ❤️
8) Remember that you’ve been doing research your whole life,
merely by existing. You are the only expert in your own experience. Embrace
this as your supreme qualification. ❤️
9) Every writer starts in the same place on Day One: Super
excited, and ready for greatness. On Day Two, every writer looks at what she
wrote on Day One and hates herself. What separates working writers from
non-working writers is that working writers return to their task on Day Three.
What gets you there is not pride but mercy. Show yourself forgiveness, for not
being good enough. Then keep going. ❤️
10) Be willing to let it be easy. You might be surprised.
- Elizabeth Gilbert via her Facebook Page @GilbertLiz on 08-31-2019
