Hello Writers!
I had this thought this morning while I was meal prepping my egg bake: writing is like cracking eggs.
I know, I know. But hear me out!
There’s no one right way to crack eggs – though many people will say their way is the only right way, offering “hacks” and tutorials – but as long as you get the egg out of its shell, with no shell pieces in the final product, you did it right.
People always want to offer their method of writing as the “best” way. But the truth is, there are as many writing processes in the world as there are writers. This isn’t just a “you’re unique, just like everyone else” motivational speech either, it’s just the truth. No two people ever experience life the exact same way. We all have our differences, and that includes the way we write. Just as no book is one-size-fits-all, so too do writing process need to be tailored to our own individual needs. Take what works best for you, try new things, incorporate new techniques or processes that work, and leave the rest. The best method of writing is the one that allows you to write.
It can be extremely messy – sometimes, good prep work can help prevent the mess or make it easier to clean up, like having a plate to crack the egg on instead of doing it on the counter or side of the bowl. But even with all the prep in the world and perfect technique, you’re still going to have to throw away the shells and wash your hands.
Writing always needs to be cleaned up. Prep work like outlines, mind-mapping, character sheets, and even organizing your draft can make that clean up a bit easier. And remember: it will always need revisions or edits; there will be a typo, a continuity error, grammatical issue, or something that the reader needs clarity on. That’s okay; it’s a draft for a reason! Revision is just part of the process.
Sometimes you have to fish out shells, and that can be really difficult depending on where you cracked the egg – if you cracked it into a bowl that had other stuff already inside, it can be harder to pull out the shells. Harder still if you notice that there are shell pieces, but keep cracking eggs without removing them.
Kind of the same as the above; watch out for stuff you don’t need. It can be harder to extricate those fillers if they get stuck in the good stuff. Sometimes you have to take out some of the good with the filler because the filler led you too far astray. And if something feels off about what you wrote? Take a break, read it through, see if you can identify the plot hole or inconsistency that is tripping you up. Go back, take out the “shells”, fix the plot hole (brainstorm some more if you have to) and then keep cracking the eggs.
Sometimes, people do it with a flourish, cracking it with only one hand. Sometimes that makes the process messier, even though it looks impressive; and at the end of the day, the result is still the same.
Some people like to put on a show; and hey, maybe they deserve to. They have spent the time to practice their process in a specific way. But just remember – even if your process is dirty and messy and not “fancy” with a mood board or a playlist or a board with string like a detective movie, if it gets the job done, it’s still the right way. Try out these other techniques, but if they don’t work for you, you don’t need to keep at it, no matter how cool it looks on social media.
With practice, you can get pretty good at consistently cracking the egg with the right pressure so it doesn’t make a mess. But remember two key things: even with years of practice, you can still make mistakes; and in order to get to that point, you have to make mistakes and learn from them.
The saying goes “practice makes perfect”, and yes, with a lot of practice, you can increase your proficiency with writing. The longer you do it, the better your first drafts will become, the easier it will be to revise, and the more “natural” the process will feel. But people who are really good at their process can still muck it up, plus they didn’t get there overnight. Make the mistakes, learn what works and what doesn’t, and don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty.
Sometimes you want to separate the yolk from the egg whites, and that is a different process entirely, with multiple approaches (and of course, everyone still thinks their way is the best).
Different genres of writing (poetry, screenwriting, lit fic, romance, nonfiction, epic fantasy, thrillers, short stories, etc.) each have their own process. What works for one genre won’t necessarily work for another.
Sometimes, the eggs turn out best when you add some salt.
And no, I don’t mean “be salty”, but do take advice with a grain of salt (even this!) Not everything is going to work for you, and if it doesn’t, that’s okay. You aren’t a failure just because someone else’s process doesn’t work for you. You absolutely should give things a try, maybe even two or three, and when you find the thing that works, hoard it like a dragon. Eventually, you will have your pile of gold coins, you’ll know what works, and you’ll have a much healthier relationship with your process.
You can study technique all you want, but eventually you are going to have to crack some eggs to really understand the process and improve.
At the end of the day, we’re all out here trying to improve our craft and give life to the stories, characters, and places that live inside our heads, begging to come out. And as with all skills, you can learn by studying up to a certain point, but ultimately, you will need to learn by doing.
Go crack those eggs, writers.
I found this really motivating. Thank you, Kara! 🙏