As ridiculous as it may sound, my approach to writing is “follow the energy.” I want to be excited and captivated by what I write, while I write it. I don’t want to pay others to pump out novels under my name, and turn my writing into a joyless endeavor.
Personally, I believe it’s fine to “follow the energy” of someone else’s story. Write fanfic, if that’s what excites you (some of those fanfics turn into popular franchises, where they change the names and make a few tweaks). Or maybe it’s not the right time to write a story, and you need to revel in what’s out there, marinate in creative juices, so to speak (that’s what I did for several decades, then something clicked and I couldn’t stop writing). Or you could be like Christopher Paolini–start writing at 15, publish your work at 19, and have it explode into a big-budget film series. Maybe a deeper part of you knows there’s a crucial experience ahead, one that will provide necessary context for your upcoming epic. Or maybe culture’s waiting to catch up to what you wrote (hopefully, it won’t take as long as it did for Moby Dick, which only became popular 70 years after its author’s death).
Stay open to excitement and follow the energy. For me, that’s the only way I can guarantee myself a reward from writing. As far as the rest of it, I say let the chips fall where they may–I’m not going to ruin my life obsessing over what might be, or what could have been. To me, that’s like missing the forest for the trees.
Explore the Worlds Behind the Stories
Kent Wayne’s ideas about storytelling, power, and human nature appear throughout his fiction.
If you’re curious how those ideas appear inside the stories, start with the Unbound Realm.
If you’re still exploring, follow the ideas:
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