Why I actively avoid writing advice

...as I am working on the first draft of my novel.

Recently, I have noticed a peculiar thing. Over and over again I stumble upon an article, a video, or a podcast that tackles the topic of novel writing, character building, world building, and plotting the story — and it does make sense that our algorithmic gods have picked up on that. These are all topics that I have shown a vast interest in in the past.

But not anymore.

Nowadays, as I come across those novel-writing related topics, I freeze like a hare facing an apex predator. Trusting in my nature-given camouflage skills, ever so gently, making sure I am not being noticed, I move my pointing finger across the scroll wheel to get away from the suggested content as quickly and safely as possible.

“But Robin, aren’t you writing a novel yourself right now?” one might ask. Yes, yes I am. About to start fighting writing chapter 9, in fact. But one should stuff this snarky attitude and go back to one’s room!

Jokes aside. To explain this dissonance, let’s take a closer look at the content that I am being recommended.

So you think you can dance write

We will focus on YouTube. I ran a quick search for generic terms like “novel writing” and “writing fantasy novel” using my regular account and then also using a private browser window, just to check whether there is a significant difference in the first impression of the results. And there is not. So let’s see what type of videos are showing up.

I’m just gonna name a few video titles that came up on top of the search, but I feel they represent the general vibe of what I often see on my feed pretty well.

So right off the bat, I can learn about “9 plot mistakes every new fantasy writer makes”. Great. Some of which I will without doubt recognize in my own writing. There are already eight entire chapters of my first draft after all, and those can surely be a spectacular source of typos, blunders, silliness, or just plain old weirdness and brain farts. I bet I could score a bingo. But let’s continue our YouTube binge.

Next up we’ve got “5 steps to write insanely good fantasy villains” — alright, could be useful, maybe. Except I have already planned my villains and I like them as they are. Or, you know, dislike them as they are, whatever. So how about we learn how somebody is “fixing the beginning of (their) fantasy novel”. But then again, I don’t care about somebody else’s botched beginning — I already have mine, thank you very much. Good for you that you can fix yours, but I would rather puzzle over my own.

So I continue the scrolling journey. Oh, magic systems! My story will have a magic system! So I might even watch a video about “worst magic systems mistakes new writers make”, but again, I don’t particularly want to. What if my magic system is number one on the list? Let’s imagine how my upcoming writing session will feel like if that’s the case.

But thankfully, I can scroll further and check out “creative plot twists for books”, though it sounds a bit generic, so one of my eyebrows is immediately raised. That moment of hesitation allows doubt to cloud my mind: earlier I feared that my magic system would show on the list, but now I fear that my plot twist doesn’t show on this one. Uh oh!

I continue my search through YouTube. With “7 antagonist mistakes new writers make” and “description mistakes new writers make” I feel like I am playing a round of mine sweeper — and getting blown up to pieces with every single step. Mistakes, mistakes, mistakes! I am in the picture, and I don’t like it.

Finally, we’ve got some solid advice! I see an over two-hour long video titled “how to write your first fantasy novel in 2025 (full guide)”, which immediately makes me think of those programming crash courses that, due to my job, I am quite familiar with. I don’t start the video though, because… Well, it’s embarrassing to admit, but I know exactly how to write my novel in 2025. (It’s still hard, though!)

Then I come across a row of YouTube shorts. One of them is titled “writing magic systems (Sanderson’s First Law)”, but curiously, the speaker is a petite blonde woman. Why is it curious? Well, I know that people change, but if my memory serves me well, Brandon Sanderson could also be described with three descriptive words, but those words would be holding complete opposite meanings to those I’ve just used to describe the speaker. And since he himself has both a website and an active YouTube presence, I do not see how I need Sanderson’s Laws explained by somebody who is not Brandon Sanderson himself.

Another short on “how to write a novel”. Nice, now we can squeeze the dread and self-doubt into a few seconds’ clip. But I don’t think it will teach you how to write a novel anymore than those beautifully aesthetic, sped-up videos of painters will teach you how to paint.

And finally, we’ve got “five tips for writing your first novel — Brandon Sanderson”, which is probably the only video of that selection truly worth watching. It probably won’t blow your mind and uncover secrets that you previously have never heard of, but my personal experience with listening to Brandon Sanderson is that he at least won’t make you feel ridiculed or discouraged.

Which, as I think you have noticed, cannot really be said about many other videos that I have listed.

Hush, you pseudo-motivating noise

So if you ask me why I am actively avoiding reading, listening or watching content about novel writing, I will tell you: because I really want to finish my first draft.

It is not even about wasting time on those videos. Sure, consuming content instead of creating content is a common trap we all fall into, but it does not explain why I avoid these specific topics with such fervor.

The answer lies somewhere else — in desperately trying to protect myself from self-doubt.

If somebody comes up to me and says, “But shouldn’t you want to face your own writing mistakes and try to correct them as you go?”…

To hell with you, I say.

First draft is not meant for facing anything but your own creativity. It’s about getting to know your characters, discovering the worlds, and gasping at your own plot twists. It’s about finding out what story currently lies inside your head.

So if during that discovery journey I happen to hit all the mistakes that every new fantasy writer makes, to hell with that too.

My bingo card is ready — but I will cross the items on my scorecard after my first draft is done and not a minute sooner.

Until then, I shall continue watching — (*checks her YouTube feed*) — “top 10 dogs of the week”, I guess.

Stay focused on your art,

Robin Wren