I think I have finally figured out why, since trying to take a more active part in #WritingCommunity Twitter, my actual writing has suffered.

So buckle up pals, this is gonna be a thread.

#WritingCommunity Twitter does a lot of different things, but one of the big things it does, either directly or indirectly, is give people advice on writing.

Now this advice is almost always caveated (rightly so) with ‘You do you’ and ‘This might not work for you!’

But the thing is, even with that caveat, it’s hard not to internalise that advice as a writer. Partly cos that’s just how brains work. But partly cos the advice normally comes from people we respect in some way - namely publisher authors.

We see an author who has achieved a thing we want to achieve give advice on how they achieved that thing, and we go ‘Ooh okay great, time to pay attention’

But the problem with that advice, aside from the fact that all advice but especially writing advice is subjective, is that that advice comes from a person who’s job is to write books.

It might not (it’s probably not!) their whole job to write books. But at least some of their job is to write books and have them published.

Which means the advice they give is always given through that lense.

Even if they’re giving advice about how they wrote before it was their job to write books, their advice is still coloured by the fact that they are paid to write stories in some capacity.

Now, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

As a person who always wants to write stories and get paid for it, it’s helpful to have Insider Industry Knowledge. If you want to do a thing, it’s pretty standard practice to learn how to do that thing from people who do that thing.

BUT! The thing about writing (as with anything, probably) is writing as a hobby (even if you want to write Professionally) is totally different to writing for money.

I know, I know. That sounds scary and like you Lose something in the art when you start getting paid for it, but it’s... kinda true?

But writing without contractual obligation is always gonna be different to writing without contractual obligation. They’re two different beats.

Which means they require two different (though of course, overlapping) sets of advice.

Now, obviously I’m only speaking for me here, but the reason my writing has suffered since joining Writer Twitter is because I’ve jumped straight into the Professional Writer Advice when, let’s be honest, I’m nowhere near being a professional writer!

I absolutely should not be writing my books the same way a NYT Bestselling Author should be, because we’re at two different levels!

Essentially, I’ve been trying to run before I can walk.

Nobody (nobody with sense anyway) would take up baking and immediately try to bake at the level of a Michelin starred pastry chef.

And yet that’s exactly what I’ve been trying to do!

That’s obviously not to say there’s nothing to be gained from looking to the professionals when you’re an amateur. Of course there is!

But, y’know, perspective.

TL;DR: Stop trying to professionalise you’re hobbies right out of the gate, have fun, challenge yourself, and understand what advice you’re ready for vs what you’re not.