Writing — Yeah? About What?
Hahaha! What a nobhead. I wrote that first post. Gave myself a proper cheer, didn’t I?
Too fucking early, mate. Too early by a long way. What the hell was I going to write about next? This waffle you’re reading now? That’s me. Filling in. While I think.
Nah, I’m kidding. I know what this is about. I typed the bloody title, didn’t I?
Yeah, you’re gonna write. Nice. About what, though? Fiction? Non-fiction? A bit of both? And while you’re wrecking your head thinking about that…
This blog is easy. It’s about writing. The craft. The pains in the arse of figuring out what to write. All that. But what are you gonna write about?
The fiction/non-fiction question is easy. Do both. If you want. Or not. But both are different disciplines. And that’s good. Aha — I’m going to mess you right up now…
See the way I write this?
Same as how I write fiction. Yeah, same sweary, direct approach. The difference is: I’m not telling stories here—
Mate, hold up. What? Ah yeah. I am going to, though. Shit. This is getting confusing. Let me sort it.
Big breath…
Right. This is a non-fiction piece. But my writing voice is the same as for my fiction. In posts to come, I’ll tell you true stories about the writing fuck-ups I’ve made and what I did to fix them. True, but also a story.
What? Why a story?
I love stories. Have done since I was a lad. Now, did I clear that up, then?
Fiction or non-fiction — the voice is the same. It took me years to get here. I know, right? You could be thinking: mate, this sounds like you’re down the pub…
EXACTLY. That’s my plan. That’s my voice. After about twenty years of writing — the recent bit, never mind the years before that — I got here.
Now…
I’m not saying it’ll take you that long. I’m saying that’s how long it took me.
Why?
Watch out for your influences. I’ve got loads. But they can proper mess you up. You hear those writers’ voices in your head instead of your own. Mind that.
But aside from that? I dunno why it took so long. Any road, I’m here now. Thank fuck.
Right, I’m done. Bollocks. This one is a bit all over the place.
Good. Find your voice. YOUR voice. Then write everything with it. And I mean everything.