Eleven things I’d tell myself as a young writer

2. Write what you want

As Simon Booker tells his younger self: “If you really want to be a writer, start practicing early in life and don’t worry about following the money or writing for the market — whatever that is. Remember what William Goldman says in Adventures in the Screen Trade: ‘No one knows anything,’ so there’s no point trying to second-guess what agents, producers, broadcasters or publishers are looking for.’”

Clare Fisher agrees: “Say what you want, not what you think everyone else wants you to want. Say nothing. Say everything. Say it whether anyone hears you saying it or not. Keep saying it. Stare at the soil until all you see are the clouds that are the same strange shape as your heart.”

As Stephen Mollett tells his younger self: “Try not to compare yourself to other writers. Certainly, a small dose of competition can spur you on when you are drifting. Seeing how your peers write and what they produce is inspiring. But harbouring envy of any kind is a waste of time, more likely to curb you than spur you. Celebrating the work of fellow artists is a greater fuel.”

Alexandra Benedict echoes this. “Just keep writing and stop comparing yourself to Mary Shelley,” she tells her younger self. “Yes, [Mary Shelley] wrote Frankenstein when she wasn’t much older than you. But, you know, she’s Mary Shelley. You could also consider not spending so much time visiting her grave in Bournemouth; again, just a thought.”

4. Learn to collaborate

“You will learn to love the idea of collaboration,” Robin Etherington tells his young self, “embracing the dynamic of shared ownership of the creative process. This is when things will start to get good. These peers will be the teachers that’ll earn your respect and your dedication. Listen and learn and try your damn hardest, okay? Step up.”

5. Keep a notebook with you and jot down ideas

“Jot down that amazing idea when it comes — whether in the aisles of a cathedral or Tesco,” Stephen Mollett says. “Don’t trust oh-I’ll-remember-it-later. The subconscious only offers these gifts occasionally.”

6. Read. Read a lot.

Alexandra Benedict says, “You’re doing the right thing by reading everything you can,” she tells her younger self. “All the words you’ve consumed so far, and will do, have infused into the brain I have now. So thank you! You’ve flavoured it like gin with the best botanicals (and you’ll like gin later as well; just don’t try it for a while — and stay off vodka because it’s not good for you).”

7. Write with your heart

Simon Booker reflects on why it’s important to write with feeling. “In a writing career lasting thirty-five years, the piece you’ll be most proud of is not one of your prime-time TV dramas, or one of your novels, but a 1500-word article for the Guardian,” he tells his younger self. “It’ll be about your mother, a tribute you’ll write after her death, and the reason it will hold a special place in your affections is that it’s written with feeling — genuine emotion that leaps from the page and touches the reader’s heart. If you can pull off that trick a few more times, ideally in a book or a script, you’ll have achieved something worthwhile.”

8. Don’t give up

“Now you and I like plain speaking, so I’m not going to sugar coat your future,” Robin Etherington tells his younger counterpart. “There’s trouble on your professional horizon and some of it stinks. Heartache — check. Hard times — double check. Doubt and insecurity and mild depression and immense disappointment by the bucket load but listen: God’s rays lie beyond those storm clouds. You’re going be standing in the rain for a while but at least it’s refreshing and your perseverance in the face of disaster will pay off.”

9. Don’t be afraid of criticism

Simon Booker advises: “It’s not personal, so don’t gnash your teeth after reading a set of notes, instead go for a walk, or sleep on it, and remember: the person who issued these annoying suggestions is trying to help you make the best piece of work possible. Stick this note on your pinboard: ‘Sometimes the criticism feels bigger than the fix required. Relax, the moment will pass.’”

10. Remember, a lot of life is about being in the right place at the right time

As Alan Jenkins puts it: “Have the sense to know that really, a poet’s whole life is luck, pure luck. The rest, as Henry James said, is ‘the madness of art.’”

11. Be kind. And learn to say no

We’ll round off with Robin Ethrington’s final summation:

“Be courteous and kind to those who deserve it and don’t waste time on those that don’t. Try to be smart with your money. Try. Say Yes as often as possible but learn when to say No. It is empowering. The endeavour was, is and always will be, your ultimate reward.”

This article originally appeared on our Substack.