Editor’s Choice— Top 10: Strange Writing Advice on Twitter

Let’s have a look at our top 10 today

When you are trying to write a story or an essay or your first novel —everything in the world seems more interesting than actual writing.

Twitter, the elder brother of Medium, is full of people who want to write. Many are tired of traditional writing advice or don’t really get the writing process.

In January 2021, harsh writing advice exploded on Twitter after a tweet that said that writer friends are also your competition. This post has now been deleted but a screenshot still survives.

To this Jessica Ellis replied:

Lilly Dancyger’s harsh writing advice goes like this: “The first time you think your book is finished, you’ve actually reached the starting line and are ready to start writing the real version.”

Mark Harris said that harsh advice is most often given by people who are avoiding writing.

Another guy’s harsh advice sounded like this: “you don’t always need to write the letters in the order they’re in in the alphabet, sometimes you can switch it up a bit.”

This one is especially funny — and therefore, HARSH:

This one isn’t harsh, it is brutal — hunt and eat your fellow writers:

My own harsh writing advice: “Don’t allow yourself breakfast until you have written a draft of your story.”

Now after this funny harsh writing advice, let’s read some real advice:

Novelist Jojo Moyes says “make time to write when you can.” You have to write even if only for fifteen minutes.

Stephen King spends “weeks and months and even years” trying to refine his first sentences. The first sentence should be so powerful that the reader reads the book till the last page, he believes.

Elizabeth Strout, who has won a Pulitzer Prize, wants new writers to “find their voice.” Finding your voice is easier than you think but harder than you wish.

Ruby Wax, a comedian, offers some unusual tricks: Just write it down. “Just write anything that comes into your mind,” she answers. “Sometimes I just write, ‘Hello, how are you? Now I’m opening the door.’ And you hate yourself! But keep doing it — ultimately a little jewel will come out. But it’s tolerating the garbage.”

If you enjoyed the idea of harsh writing advice, please share your own piece of harsh writing advice in the comments section.

Let’s have a look at our top 10 stories by writers who tortured themselves into writing these pieces somehow:

10. The Flat-Tailed Wren and the Neuroscience of Taking Turns in a Dialogue

Antonio Segovia. Physician. Media and Journalism specialist. Medicine, Mental Health, Psychology, Inspiration, Entrepreneurship, Culture, Books, Sports, and Environment.

He is a fine writer. His writing style is intriguing and engaging. Do check his other work.

Many animals coordinate actions with a partner to make cooperative social behavior such as duet singing.

How often have we been ourselves talk at cross purposes, where only one person speaks, and the other only listens. But despite this, the latter may have many more valuable things to contribute?

9. No, The Rich don’t have an obligation to Take Care of Homeless People

Lawson Wallace is a 61-year-old married guy. “ I have been writing stories for years, but never submitted or published anything. I write about my successes and failures, everything.”

He is an excellent writer. His writing style is easy to follow, conversational, and very engaging. Don’t forget to check his other work.

I have shared on Medium several articles about my brief experience of being homeless. I shared links to the articles on Social Media and Quora.

I get asked this a lot

“ Should we confiscate Trump’s hotels and turn them into homeless shelters?” It’s a question I’m asked. I always roll my eyes and shake my head.

8. How to Make $1000 per Month on Medium Naturally and Without Any Drugs

Sabana Grande says, “Hi, If You Are Seeing This Message I Have Come Back From The Future To Impart Wisdom On The Masses.”

He is a wonderful writer. His style is funny, uplifting, and engaging. Do check his other work. Don’t miss this one.

I know you’ve heard it before, the old adage — “you can’t make money on Medium without the use of performance-enhancing drugs.” Many of you have tried to write without taking any drugs. I know it’s hard. I’m here to guide you on how you too can make at least $1000 per month on Medium, drugs-free.

7. I’d Rather Read the Book

Ulf Wolf says, “Raised by trolls in northern Sweden, now settled on the California coast a stone’s throw south of the Oregon border. Here I meditate and write.”

He is an excellent writer. His writing style is full of suspense, charming, and direct. Do check his other work.

A few months after J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” saw the light of day, I read about a teacher in England who had been reading from this book for his class of young children. One day he brought a new, illustrated version of Harry Potter to his class to show them.

To his surprise the kids’ response was not particularly positive.

6. 6 Steps to Help You Fall in Love with Yourself

Michele Thill says, “I’m the Empowerment Coach — I help women tap into their inner power through my BE WELL approach.”

She is an excellent writer. Her writing style is easy, flowing, charming, and engaging. Don’t this beautiful piece and read her other fabulous work.

It’s September and we move closer to the next season — Fall. For many, at least here in the United States, it’s a time to get back to routines. Summer fun and different schedules end and we return to more set schedules, habits and routines that support this time of year.

With this in mind — Do your habits and routines support YOU? What are you doing that is helping you — or are you hindering yourself?

5. Things The French Don’t Understand About Americans

Josie Timberlake is an American girl living in France. “I’m passionate about personal development, languages, and art that inspires.”

She is an excellent writer. Her writing style is charming, elegant, and very engaging. Don’t this piece.

Living as an American in France, there are many times I’ve noticed that what I consider to be normal simply isn’t in France. Going abroad helps us to understand more about the world, and through living in France, I have definitely learned that a lot of my habits are pretty American. Here are some American things that are more than puzzling to the French.

4. What Working on Your Strengths Can Do for You in Your Life

Bill Abbate is a leadership writer and executive coach.

He is a brilliant writer. His writing style is logical, informative, and very engaging. Please check his other work. You’ll love it.

Which do you think about more often, your weaknesses or your strengths? What about others? Do you think more about their weaknesses or their strengths? Does it matter what we think?

“Although men are accused of not knowing their own weakness, yet perhaps few know their own strength. It is in men as in soils, where sometimes there is a vein of gold which the owner knows not of.” Jonathon Swift (1667–1745)

3. Intelligent People Would Rather Die Than Be Simple-Minded

Adam Hoxha. Another one of those condescending knoblets from Quora (His words.)

He is a good writer. His writing style is engaging and social. He asks good questions and then tries to answer them. Do check his other work.

Here’s a thought for you; take away the very basis of someone’s passion from them entirely, and now can it be truly said that they are still the same person afterward in any meaningful sense?

For to be something which you fundamentally are not is draining and miserable, but likewise, to become a husk of your former self is a horrifying idea and terrible reality for those that succumb to the likes of dementia.

2. Can We Please All Find the Space Within Which to Breathe the Same Air and Agree Not to Agree

Marcus is living 17,043rd human life. “I am Marcus (universal name) or you may call me Greg; a deep thinker; an explorer of ideas and the mind,” he says.

He is an excellent writer. His writing style is thought-provoking, engaging, and deep. Do check his other work.

Typically, but not often enough in our polarized, factionalized, and tribal-mentality-based society, one would state my title with the words “agree to disagree.” I chose “agree not to agree” to evoke that no one’s alternate truth, as long as based upon indisputable facts, needs to be disagreed with, and to show that nuances are not semantics. I cannot stand when I point out in a discussion, with a black and white thinker, using rhetoric appropriately, that the answers may reside in a grey area that does not comport with their need for simple answers to support their positions, and their snorty retort is “that’s just semantics.”

1. The Question “Are You Vaxxed?” Is Quietly Dividing People

Tim Denning. Aussie Blogger with 500M+ views — Writer for CNBC & Business Insider. Inspiring the world through Personal Development and Entrepreneurship.

He is a fabulous writer. His writing style is simple, flowing, easy to understand, and engaging. He has huge followership of 209,000. Do check his other work. (Also, read my funny story when he clapped for my stories.)

To be vaxxed where I live is a status symbol.

I’ve had my first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. There’s one more to go so my friends aren’t holding any parties yet. Well, actually, we can’t. I live in Melbourne which has had one of the harshest and longest lockdowns since the pandemic started.

The last four top 10

This post is part of the Top 10 Series — you can meet 500+ top writers with these links:

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Final Thoughts

If your story was selected in the Top 10, please share another story with a brief introduction and a short convincing review — in the comments. (Please write the review in the third person and start it with your name.)

I must have missed something today. I cannot read every story on Illumination and Illumination-Curated. I try — and fail daily — to read all of the great articles.

Please join our private Facebook group for Illumination writers to post your articles daily. Also, I invite you to become a writer for my publication — positive minds.

Iꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰɪɴᴅ ᴀɴʏ ᴍɪsᴛᴀᴋᴇ, ᴛʏᴘᴏ, ᴏʀ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴇʀʀᴏʀ, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴘʀɪᴠᴀᴛᴇ ɴᴏᴛᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴄᴏʀʀᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ. Tʜᴀɴᴋs.

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