So many video essays about how to get the 3 act structure right, the Hero's journey, analyzing films through this lens, etc. Dan Harmon is always yapping on about his "story circle"... it's like damn is writing really that bland?

I feel like adherence to these guidelines and the quest to find the perfect structure cheapens things and generally gets in the way of things. But I don't know anything about writing so maybe that's nonsense. What do you guys think?

    • BakedPotatoJohnson [any]
      ·
      3 years ago

      you have to spend hours and hours of muscle memory unreliable vs spending hours and hours in a class/researching

      Oh, writing is much closer to learning an instrument, than you might think! There is so much time spent going through the repetition of just getting words onto a page in a way that feels right when others read it.

      Class and researching is a part of it, no doubt there amigo, but the same can be said for a music theory major or composer.

      There were a handful of spuds in my creative writing classes way back in college who memorized the textbooks, but never actually wrote.

        • BakedPotatoJohnson [any]
          ·
          3 years ago

          Oh yes, you bet! You learn when to stop focusing on it eventually and also when to go back through and edit. That desire for details helps you get better as a writer.

            • BakedPotatoJohnson [any]
              ·
              3 years ago

              That skill will improve organically too! Do what feels best for you and is the most enriching for you! More than one way to sprout! 🍠🥔🌱