I have 2 basic tips: Write something self indulgent to get you started. basically just think of something that would be fun and enjoyable to write to at least get you kick started and then it might grow into something bigger, or it might get you the momentum to work on something bigger. and the second would be to use one of the myriad of reader apps to read your story to you so you can hear how it sounds out loud.

I like how you referenced not every book is for everyone. I’ve recommended some books to some friends and they’ve found it “way too confusing” or too much of a “slow burn” whereas I understand the story perfectly and find the tone and pace the perfect balance.

I tell my husband your advice all the time, "dont let perfect be the enemy of good." ( I think I got it from another source 😅) We both have perfectionist tendencies, and then a whole lot of nothing gets done. We've been implementing this strategy, and I think it's helped us for the better!! I finally published my first book (after almost 2 years). I think it's good. I know it's not perfect, and I'm excited to continue writing. 😊

The best piece of writing advice I received was from Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet: “Ask yourself in the stillest hour of your night: must I write? Delve into yourself for a deep answer. And if this should be affirmative, if you may meet this earnest question with a strong and simple “I must,” then build your life according to this necessity; your life even into its most indifferent and slightest hour must be a sign of this urge and a testimony to it.” Made me realize I didn’t have this urge, so I went into finance instead 🤣

It is just lovely to start the day with your podcast, guys.

George Saunders’ Lincoln in the Bardo is as enigmatic and genre-bending as Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi, and similarly much easier to process if you blend audio version with physical version. Love your content!

Richard including his own advice is just so Richard

Im glad i discovered this channel. I like your guys energy. Recently just got into reading and all I’ve read is first got book, 1-3 wheel of time (halfway through 4) and likr some self help books 😂 definitely got a long way to go but im here for the ride

Wow, this is such a great episode guys! You should be proud!

I recently binged a heap of Joe Abercrombie interviews. That guy is a gold mine of advice.

Thanks for this episode..... this helps....a lot

47-year-old, here! My husband is a sci-fi/fantasy writer so I'm familiarizing myself with his world. Thanks for your help with that! 🙃

I totally thought Richard’s tip was going to be a plugin for their patreon 😂 great video! Super helpful!

Excellent episode guys, some really useful advice here. I'm toying with an outline for my first novel and this really brought some things home. Another piece of advice is the whole idea of "kill your darlings" which Ive learned prepping for D&D DMing. If you're writing something and the pacing is wrong, or bits are boring, or something doesnt make sense, you have to be prepared to cut out unnecessary plotlines and characters if doing so would serve your story, EVEN IF it pains you to do it. Now if you can rewrite parts in order to fix these issues, then that's fine, but you always have to ask yourself "is this needed, is this something my readers would even want to read about?". If not, then maybe it's better left on the cutting room floor.

A very interesting episode! To me, the toughest part is to create believable characters that differ from me as a person but still have relatable or at least understandable aspirations.

If you guys ever want to read a short and great philosophical book on abarham read fear and trembling by Søren Kierkegaard

Keep killin it dudes!

Did Richard refer to himself in the 3rd person?😂😂lol

the counting in Korean had my jaw dropped lol

Neat

Hey this Gen Xer will watch you un-box books anytime!

Fun fact: Initially writing this comment took so long the video switched over and this accidentally posted to an old Sanderson video instead. The conviction thing is a really good way of putting why and how a character is tested, and why its cathartic when they do or don't (so many thin stories have characters doing things and failing or succeeding, but it doesnt MEAN anything to their deep personal beliefs). I was thinking there are characters like Thanos (who does what he says he'll do) and then Loki (who says oh i rule everyone but then gets smacked down and hesitates). But then there's characters like Joffrey who talk a big game, clearly don't measure up, and CONTINUE to exercise their beliefs even after their actions dont add up. I think this is what makes Joffrey so frustrating. The people who are fundamentally proven to be wrong and then get up the next day like No You're Wrong and act with pure conviction despite literal real-time evidence that they are not what they insist they are. Characters with a harmful level of denial is interesting to me because they act with all the hallmarks of a character that follows through but the way they see themselves is fundamentally broken. Thanos actually almost has this, he acts with conviction because even when tested with Gamora he still follows through, but also Gamora insists "you dont know that" and he just goes "na i do" and then follows through despite it having clear negative consequences and the avengers immediately want to reverse it. This to me is the difference between "I am certain enough of the problem because it happened before" and "I am certain enough of the solution because it will happen again." Just what I thought of when looking at how to apply why and how a character folloes through and how some characters can follow through for all the wrong reasons; be utterly certain and still fail, or be utterly incorrect and still succeed.

Listened to this while working on a draft, every piece of advice was so incredibly helpful! Some even helped with what I ak currently working on. Fantastic video that was well worth the near-hour of time. Lots of this advice will stick with me for a long time.

The book "On Writing" by Stephen King is a literal bible on... writing

Hello! I want to start writing a story and I need to ask someone if the story-line is good and if someone likes it and I wanted to ask you guys. I don't have everything already planned out but the majority, so if I could text you guys I would really appreciate that. Keep the good work.

Very thought provoking, great episode.

New subscriber love what you guys are doing. I would love for you guys to check out the Bound and Broken series by Ryan Cahill. Not ground breaking fantasy, but as someone who is trying to get back into regularly reading fantasy series it was a great entry level series. I loved it myself Especially the 2nd book Of Darkness and Light

I don’t even care too much about writing but I’ll still listen lmao

Wow.

Want to see great writing? I implore you to watch inside number 9, such good story telling.

I am the first

Hi Edit : 😢

touch grass