In the last few articles, I’ve talked about how to learn from great books as well as how to learn from books you don’t like. There are lots of other ways to learn about the craft of writing, including but not limited to taking classes, attending conferences, reading craft books, subscribing to sites like Go Teen Writers, and listening to podcasts. (Here are some of our favorite resources.) 

But after you’ve done a bunch of underlining or note taking, then what? 

If you’re like me, you’ve had the experience of attending a writing conference or reading a great craft book, and then coming to the page to write and feeling like you have about ten different instructors watching over your shoulders. You start typing only to have one of them say, “Don’t use that word. Remember, no adjectives and adverbs!” While another says, “Ick! Don’t start your chapter with description. Start with action!” Another argues, “No, not action. Instead, start deep in the character’s mind and show us what they’re thinking.”

It’s impossible to get any work done with all those voices talking to you, but also you want to be applying what you learned to your writing. How do you balance this?

Say you’ve just read an excellent article on developing your setting. I think the very best thing you can do now is put that article aside and write the scene the way that seems best to you. I’m not saying you should try to forget everything you just read about settings, but I don’t think it’s helpful to be actively thinking about what you learned as you’re creating. 

When you’re editing the scene later, that is when it’s an effective time to think about how you’ve developed the setting. That’s when you can evaluate the words you’ve written and consider things like, “I bet this would be better if I move this bit of description up here or if I explain such-and-such earlier.”

Whenever I teach about writing, someone inevitably asks, “How do you turn off your inner editor?” I believe you do that by telling them they get a turn later. The inner editor is trying to help you, but it’s just not time for them to be doing their job. Remind them of that, and they typically chill a bit. 

The more you learn about stories, the more stories you read, and the more stories you write, the easier it is to spot something that isn’t working. We call this intuition, but I think it’s really your educated mind doing a job it’s now better equipped to do. Because you read that article about developing settings, and because you read that amazing urban fantasy series where the storyworld felt alive, and because you also read that other urban fantasy novel where the world was bland, you can now better see your own storyworld’s  flaws and attributes. 

So, yes, take the writing classes. Study the books. Listen to the podcasts. Read the articles.  But when it comes time to sit down and put words on the page, set all that knowledge aside and tell your inner editor, “Your turn comes later.”

Do you have other thoughts on or methods for quieting your inner editor?

Stephanie Morrill writes books about girls who are on an adventure to discover their unique place in the world. She is the author of several historical young adult novels, including the Piper Sail Mysteries and Within These Lines, which was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection, as well as a YALSA 2020 Best Fiction for Young Adults pick. Stephanie also encourages the next generation of writers at her website, GoTeenWriters.com, which has been on the Writer’s Digest Best Websites for Writers list since 2017. She lives in the Kansas City area, where she loves plotting big and small adventures to enjoy with her husband and three children. You can connect with Stephanie and learn more about her books at StephanieMorrill.com.