I’ve recently started spending more time writing short stories, and what I’m finding is that the more I write them, the easier and faster it seems, which makes them a lot more fun to write. And that got me thinking about all the erroneous advice out there about writing, which makes it seem that there are too many rules.
I sometimes feel that writers put too much effort into writing the “right thing” or writing “the right way.” It’s no fun trying to write while sticking to rules, especially someone else’s rules. The thing about great stories is just that. They are great stories. You need to be a great storyteller, not a grammatical genius.
The most important thing is to enjoy what you write about. So if you want to make money writing short stories, write the stories you love to write. Forget about the current styles and character bios and whatever else is the latest fad way to write. Just write.
This isn’t just my advice. It’s also the advice of the mighty Stephen King, who said (and I paraphrase), write the stories you love to write and find somewhere to sell them later.
First and foremost, writing must be enjoyable. If you don’t enjoy writing and you hardly ever do it, then perhaps you’re not a writer at all.
The great sci-fi writer, Ray Bradbury, put it best when he said, “Fall in love and stay in love. Do what you love, don’t do anything else.”
I know that writing isn’t just something I do, it’s something I HAVE to do. I can’t imagine living a life where I don’t write. Even when I’m not doing my own writing, I’m studying and taking plenty of notes, or I’m journaling or creating a list of ideas for future writing projects. I’m always learning something new and writing something new.
So, if you want to write stories or articles, write about what you enjoy and find a market for it later. Research potential markets and tailor your work accordingly. It’s surprising how many markets there are once you start looking. Begin with a Google search for “write for us” or “short story submissions” or something similar.
Or start your own blog about a subject you’re passionate about, or blog about your writing, or collate a book of your own short stories.
Eventually, you’ll know what to do with all the stories you’ve filed away.
And when you do find a market for your work, remember that they like to receive work earlier rather than later in the submission window, so it helps to have a stockpile of stories. Plus, you’ll have a better chance of acceptance if you submit early while there are still plenty of open slots to fill.
But you can’t sell your stories if you haven’t written them.
So relax and enjoy writing stories.
And I’ll leave you with one more quote from the man who loved writing more than anything else in his life, Ray Bradbury:
“For the first thing a writer should be is — excited. He should be a thing of fevers and enthusiasms. Without such vigour, he might as well be out picking peaches or digging ditches; God knows it’d be better for his health.”
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