There are always two stories: the one in our head and the one on the page, and they are rarely the same. It’s enough to throw your hands in the air and admit defeat.
Giving up on your story doesn’t happen because your story isn’t good. It’s not even because you lack the talent to write a great story. It’s often because you lack the skills to translate that story in your head to the page efficiently.
No, it will never be the same, but you can get close. If you can achieve objectivity and gain the skills needed to fix stories.
As writers, we must accept that our brains can conjure things we cannot hope to replicate exactly. It’s like looking at the Milky Way on an exceptionally clear night and hoping to capture its likeness in a photograph without special equipment. It can’t happen. The original is too grand and amazing.
But we can take that incredible story we imagined and translate it to the page with the proper skills. All hope is not lost.
Understanding the Skills Needed
Writing takes place in phases. It rarely springs forth complete. When it does, we are often left with stunning scenes or paragraphs or lines that need to fit within the rest of the story.
Most of the time, we must work for it. We need to bring our ideas to life through words, phrases, and sentences. Scenes, sequences, and chapters. It’s a process.
We brainstorm. We write. We edit. We tweak.
The Brain’s Role
Editing takes place in a separate part of the brain from writing. It requires different skills and techniques, and demands the ability to distance yourself from the work and see it clearly.
Every aspect of writing, from brainstorming ideas to creating a story, writing that story, and editing it, all happens in separate areas of the brain. Your brain can do all of it, but not at the same time.
Why Many Writers Fail
The biggest reason writers fail happens when they attempt to do everything at once. They edit as they write; they try writing on the fly and brainstorming as they go. It’s no wonder so many give up. They have overwhelmed and frustrated their brains. It’s like asking your computer to run three video games and render two videos at the same time. It would crash.
Trying to do everything simultaneously is why people end up with a drawer full of unedited manuscripts. It’s not because they can’t come up with great story ideas. They have taxed their brains too much, which is a processing and skills issue.
There are three fixes for this issue:
One: Do each task separately
Two: Learn the foundational skills of storytelling so your first draft comes out stronger from the start
Three: Pick up the skills needed to edit the story you already have on the page.
These all require skills, not simply knowledge.
It’s possible to bring the two versions of your story closer together on the page.
You can start strong and finish even better. All it takes is a bit of effort and getting proper feedback so you are flailing along.
You Don’t Need to Do It Alone
Too many writers try to do it all alone. That’s fine if you have the skills to succeed. But too many mistakenly believe they can figure it out on their own or with help from a writing book. Or they assume since they wrote papers in high school or college, they already have the skills they need.
They are wrong.
School and business writing look little like the writing needed for creative endeavors. Novels, screenplays, memoirs, and creative nonfiction require deeper and more specialized skills.
The problem with trying the reading craft books and watching video approach is that while you may develop knowledge, you are not developing the actual skills needed to write a great story.
Skill-building happens when you test and adjust your knowledge in the real world. It’s when you stop watching cooking videos and start trying to cook in the kitchen. It’s when you finally have friends over to taste your creations and get feedback to help you get better.
It’s the same in writing. You grow with practice and feedback.
Can you figure it out on your own? Sure, if you have the right resources, abundant insight, and the ability to be objective. But it’s so much easier with a teacher or editor who can offer targeted feedback and the tools needed to make storytelling easier.
It does not have to be complicated, but it is involved. There are a lot of specific bits needed to build a great story. Some happen concurrently. Some are used infrequently, but remain important.
Think of them like tools you can pull out when needed. You want them in your toolbox, but you have the freedom to use them as you wish. That’s how story skills work. They aren’t formulaic (no matter what you’ve heard or read). They are a set of building blocks you pull on as needed to create your masterpiece.
Why Feedback Matters
A writing coach or editor can spot why your story isn’t working and where you went astray. They can tell you how to pull it back together, how to tap into that mental story, and bring a closer version of it to the page.
There’s no reason to go it alone. No reason to struggle when there are other options.
Look for reputable coaches or teachers. Find a writer’s group led by a professional writer. Hire an editor with a track record. Look for local resources or turn to the internet for options, because there are tons of options out there.
I will open a virtual cohort later this summer focused on starting your story strong—foundational story writing skills needed to succeed: throughlines, structure, story logic, story and character arcs, and more. Those skills needed to support your story from the beginning.
Look for a follow-on cohort for the editing and revision phase later in the fall. You can sign up on the waitlist now for first access and a special bonus when you sign up for the course. There is no obligation to join from the waitlist.
If you don’t sign up for my course, find an option that will help you grow as a writer and finish that story you have in your head.