Steal These Gems From Leo Tolstoy and Level up the Writing Game
Writing tips from the greatest Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy.
I fell in love with Tolstoy when I was in college.
I can still remember that after reading Anna Karenina, my mind was simply blown away. I was overwhelmed by the novel that Tolstoy himself mentioned as his ‘first true novel’.
Anna Karenina is a masterpiece. If you haven’t read it yet, you should. This big canvas novel will teach you so much about life that no bestseller self-help book or life coach can teach.
As I am a huge fan of Tolstoy, today I will share a few invaluable lessons from him that, I think, will help you level up as a writer.
Let’s begin!
The Power of Rewriting
Tolstoy's most notable work is War and Peace.
You already know that, right? But do you know this novel took six years to complete?
Probably not.
During those years, this master of realistic fiction had rewritten the entire manuscript of War and Peace at least eight times. And he did it by hand (no typewriters, nothing — just pen and paper). Moreover, he had rewritten individual scenes up to 26 times.
It is a humongous novel that has more than 500 different characters (including 200 historical figures) in it with all their distinct mannerisms and speech patterns.
Rewriting a novel like this eight times is something beyond our wildest imagination. Because we are always desperate to hit the publish button as soon as we finish our first drafts.
“I can’t understand how anyone can write without rewriting everything over and over again,” said Tolstoy.
Well, you may not write a masterpiece like Anna Karenina or War and Peace, but at least you can improve your writing by rewriting it one or two times.
It can significantly improve the quality of your writing, that’s for sure.
Your Search for Perfection
You don’t have to write a perfect story. Don’t take that burden on your shoulder. Nobody told you to do that.
If you look for perfection, your will be disappointed for sure. That’s not my words. Tolstoy said so through one of his characters, Nataly, in the novel Anna Karenina.
“If you look for perfection, you’ll never be content.”
But we love to make our writing perfect, don’t we?
Many of us spend hours finding the right idea, words, sentences, story angles, etc. to make our writing perfect. And we think too much about what other people will say about our writings if it’s not perfect.
But remember, this pursuit of perfection will leave us disappointed and unproductive.
Instead, try to write a better story than the previous one. And repeat the same for each story. Your writings will impress others.
Rules of Life
Writers don’t want to be governed by rules. That’s understandable. But what if a few simple rules can take you a hundred steps ahead of other writers?
Tolstoy believed that a writer should follow rules for constant self-improvement. He named it the ‘rules of life.’
Here are a few rules from Tolstoy’s rules of life that may help you level up the game:
- Wake up at five o’clock and go to bed early (no later than ten o’clock).
- Eat moderately and avoid sweets.
- Walk at least one hour a day.
- Only do one thing at a time.
- Stop caring about other people’s opinions of yourself.
- Work hard and help the less fortunate.
To Conclude
Writing is a lifestyle.
Admit this truth and repair your lifestyle by taking help from the great Russian master, Leo Tolstoy.
Then write like a pro.
Thank you for reading.
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