I love this video that I found from writer, Kieren Westwood, where he's compiled writing advice that was shared by best-selling author Michael Crichton over the years. Crichton is one of my husband's all-time favorite authors and I know how rarely he talked about writing and his methods, so it was interesting to find these insights all in one place!
What do you think, do you agree or disagree with any of Crichton's advice?
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Ashley Renee Smith Michael Crichton said "I don't try to write a bestseller. I don't think anybody can do that. If you try, you will make a lousy book and it will also fail." I respectfully disagree. I write every script with the goal of them being extremely successful. But every writer has their own way of thinking, so I can see why Michael Crichton said that. And maybe trying to write a bestseller/writing a script that becomes extremely successful puts too much pressure on some writers. They might prefer to just write stories and not think about how successful their stories will be.
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Maurice Vaughan I agree with both of you! What I interpret from what he said is not to write something to please the masses but instead stay authentic to your writing and the story you wish to tell.
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I see what you mean, Giovanna Silvestre. Yeah, we definitely have to stay authentic to our writings and the stories we wish to tell!
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That's also how I took the advice, Giovanna Silvestre! It's one thing to try to write the best version of something that you want to succeed, but it's another to write something that you think could be popular but you aren't passionate about.
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Ashley Renee Smith Maurice Vaughan I LOVE this discussion because it puts a lot of things into perspective. First, I think it's important to write what you're called to write. I think all of us have that inner muse that speaks to us, and it's important to honor that message. Without that, creating feels empty. That said, I think it's important to envision the future you wish to experience for your work. I think it's okay to fuel your motivation by the feeling of what it would be like to write a NYT bestseller, see yourself on the red carpet, etc. without allowing that goal to direct your creative choices. Such a good discussion!
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Darn! Hit the wrong button and lost all that writing I put here an hour ago! … is there way OF EVER retrieving it? Or lost to Time… Lol
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Thanks for this, Ashley Renee Smith ! I especially agree with the first tip of not trying to write a best-seller. If you're focused on the marketing, your story won't be compelling. There's a filmmaking group I belong to called We Make Movies and one of our values is "Make the movie you want to see". I'd say if you "Write the book that you want to read", then you'll craft a story that will be great and resonate with a lot of readers.