Permission Slips for Authors

One of my favorite things to say to authors during our group chats in The Inkwell is, “I give you permission.” Because so often—especially when writing is a hobby and not how we pay the bills—we let should or should not get in the way of joy and fulfillment in our writing practice.

I’ve seen the way the simple act of declaring, “You have permission” frees up an author to play, try something new, or recommit to her writing, so I wanted to share some permission slips with you here. Take what you need, and pay the rest forward.

I give you permission to…

1. Write what interests you, even if it doesn't pay the bills.

2. Write your story out of order: If the very next scene in your outline is tripping you up and making you avoid your desk, jump ahead. Nobody says you have to write your novel in order.

3. Schedule a DIY writing retreat: Whether it's in an exotic location or in a quiet corner of your own home, carve out dedicated time and space for uninterrupted writing. A change of scenery can reignite inspiration and rejuvenate your creative spirit.

4. Call yourself an author: Whether you're published multiple times or just getting started, lose the “aspiring” and commit to your identity as an author. You have to take yourself seriously before anyone else will.

5. Get messy: Let yourself get into the flow and see where your story takes you. Chase down that shiny object or experiment with that interesting new writing style. Editing comes later. When you’re drafting, you’re free to play.

6. Take breaks: Allow yourself to step away from your writing when you need a mental or creative recharge. Rest and rejuvenation are essential for sustained productivity.

7. Experiment with different genres: Just because you’ve always written romance doesn’t mean you can’t try horror. If you want to explore a different style, explore a different style. Don’t feel confined to “what you’ve always done” or “how you’ve always done it.” You never know what might shake loose when you shake things up.

8. Seek feedback: Share your work with critique partners, beta readers, or writing groups for constructive criticism. When will you know you’re ready? When you’re not sure if you’re making the story better or worse.

9. Celebrate small victories: Acknowledge and celebrate your progress, no matter how small. Only wrote 150 words today? You’re 150 words closer to a finished manuscript, and that’s worth celebrating.

10. Write in weird places, at weird times: We don’t always have the luxury of long, interrupted writing sessions, so go ahead and whip out your notes app in the dentist’s waiting room, the carpool line, or your kiddo’s soccer practice.

11. Remember your worth: Your value as a writer is not determined by external validation or publication success. If you find fulfillment in your writing life, if you’re passionate about your story, and if you’re dedicated to honing your craft, then you’re worth your weight in gold as a writer.

What other “permission slips” do you need in your writing life? Email me, or share in the comments below.

Want to join a community of writers who give each other permission every day to follow their passion and hone their craft?

If There’s Nothing New Under the Sun, How Can We Create Original Fiction?

During a recent monthly craft chat, an Inkwell member told me that she sometimes gets nervous about reading too much in her preferred genre, because she’s afraid of accidentally copying something that’s already out there. While that particular variation of this fear was new to me, it was not the first time I’d heard an author fretting about her ability to write something original.

Here are the two beliefs I hold firmly on this matter:

1. Every story is derivative in some way.

2. By bringing her own perspectives, experiences, and voice to the page, every author is capable of telling old stories in new and original ways.

The Myth of Originality

“Derivative” is often held up as the worst condemnation a writer can hear of her work—particularly among the self-appointed Literary Elite. In fact, authors are constantly under enormous pressure to write something that’s entirely original—something that’s never been done before.

And yet…

Storytelling is inherently iterative, and every story is built on a rich foundation of structures, themes, and archetypes that have resonated with audiences for as long as stories have existed.

We see the same universal themes — love, greed, ecstasy, desperation, etc. — crop up over and over again as writers strive to explore them in new ways. Today’s authors use storytelling structures dating all the way back to Aristotle, and some of our most popular contemporary stories are new twists on ancient myths (Madeline Miller’s Circe and Song of Achilles, the TV series Once Upon a Time, and the musical Hadestown, to name a few). Every beloved Disney movie is built on an ancient fairytale, and genre fiction readers flat-out expect their favorite tropes to appear at just about the same point in every novel they pick up.

So no, there’s really nothing new under the sun, but the way I see it, that’s not a liability; it’s an invitation to engage with the stories we love and draw from them in order to create our own.

Building Original Stories on Familiar Foundations

Now, of course, this is not to say we can slap a new cover on Ann Patchett’s latest book and call it our own. That’s plagiarism.

So how do we create something original on top of universal frameworks and ideas? By embracing our unique lens. Every author brings her own life experiences, cultural background, and personal philosophy to the page, and that’s what empowers us to approach familiar themes in new ways.

For example, what book comes to mind when I give you this basic premise?

“A kid travels through a portal to magical world and ultimately saves it from destruction.”

• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis

• The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster

• A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle

• Harry Potter, by JK Rowling

• Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan

• A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J. Maas

And those are just the half-dozen I could think of in about thirty seconds without Googling. Six different authors, spanning over a century, writing books that can all be boiled down to the same basic premise. But, because each author brought their own unique perspective to that premise (C.S. Lewis’s Christianity, Norton Juster’s synesthesia, Madeleine L’Engle’s interest in modern science, Rick Riordan’s expertise in Greek mythology, and Sarah J. Maas’s penchant for turning Disney princess stories on their heads, for starters) the books are dramatically different from one another. They each draw from their own source materials and sources of inspiration to turn a well-worn idea into a unique story.

So, to the Inkwell member who worried about reading too much in her genre, I say don’t. The more stories you consume, the deeper your well of source material and inspiration to draw from. To authors who put off writing because they worry their ideas aren’t original, I say write. Embrace the themes you love, and approach them through the lens of your own experiences. One day, with any luck, a young author will draw from your work to tell her own story.

Looking for a community of authors who share ideas, encourage one another, and inspire one another to hone their crafts, nurture their practices, and build unique stories on familiar foundations?