Grant Faulkner

  • Books
    • The Art of Brevity
    • All the Comfort Sin Can Provide
    • Fissures
    • Pep Talks for Writers
    • Nothing Short Of: Selected Tales from 100 Word Story
    • The Names of All Things
  • Stories
  • Essays
  • News/Interviews
  • Appearances
  • Podcast
  • Blog
  • Bio
  • Contact

Writing Tip No. 647: Never Try to Please the Boss

March 9, 2010 by Grant Faulkner Leave a Comment

I guess one can consult the Greek oracle on this one. Know thyself. Sounds easy, but most of us spend a lifetime reaching and dodging and jumping through hoops and doing deep breath exercises and throwing the occasional punch (if not tantrum) in pursuit of such solid ground.

Becoming a good writer is akin to becoming a good human being in so many ways, after all. So here’s a good quote from Chuck Palahnuik, he of The Fight Club (because it’s all a fight).

As a writer, I felt compelled to toe the publishing line until I realized I was flushing away all my free time. I was starting to really hate writing. It looked like just another f—ing job where I was trying to please some boss. There had to be a way for writing to be fun.

So he wrote The Fight Club.

It sounds so simple, huh? Be playful. Know thyself. Don’t answer to anyone. Write like a kid, a madman, a dancer, a clown. Search for meaning on your own terms.

It doesn’t matter if you’re writing Moby Dick, Waiting for Godot, or Jack and Jill. It’s the same tip. Never try to please the boss. Kick the boss out of the house.

Put up your dukes.

Click here to find  out more!

Filed Under: Blog, The Writing Life Tagged With: Creative Process, Writing Tips

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Social Media

Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn

Subscribe to my newsletter!

Bio

Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month, co-founder of 100 Word Story, writer, tap dancer, alchemist, contortionist, numbskull, preacher. Read More…

The Art of Brevity

Cover of Art of Brevity

Buy from Bookshop.org

All the Comfort Sin Can Provide

Book Cover - All the Comfort Sin Can Provide

Buy from Bookshop.org!

Pep Talks for Writers: 52 Insights and Actions to Boost Your Creative Mojo

Bookshop.org
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
IndieBound

Fissures

Grant Faulkner Fissures

Bookshop.org
Amazon

Nothing Short of 100

Grant Faulkner Fissures

Buy now!

The Names of All Things

Grant Faulkner Fissures

Buy now!

Recent Posts

  • Author’s Note: The Art of Brevity
  • A Creative Manifesto
  • The Ides of March: The Most Dangerous Time for New Year’s Resolutions
  • Pep Talks for Writers: 52 Insights and Actions to Boost Your Creative Mojo
  • On Failing Better, Failing Bigger, Failing Magnificently

Tags

Community cover design Creative Process Experimental Fiction Favorite Authors Flash Fiction Inspiration Literary Critique Literary Magazines NaNoWriMo Philosophy Photography Poetry Reading Revision Self-publishing Short Story Writing Detail Writing Tips Writing Voice

Copyright © 2023 · Metro Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in