It occurred to me that, with all the trial and error in writing, writers have a lot in common with scientists.
Watch the video to find out why trial and error in our writing is a good thing.
Hello my lovely writers.
What does a scientist and a writer have in common?
Don’t know?
Let me tell you.
It’s trial and error.
That’s what a writer and a scientist have in common – they need to do things by trial and error. You’ll hear me say many times, ‘Writing a book is not a scientific formula. It’s not an equation you have.’ But there is an overlap in that, when you’re a writer, particularly a new writer, you’re finding your feet, you’re getting to grips with how to write a book and that means there is a lot of trial and error in writing.
We all have a unique perspective and you are still figuring out not just what your process is, but also how you put together a first draft. Then how you go through your revisions, then how you go through your edits. You’re figuring all that out as you write. But, believe it or not, you’re also figuring out what type of book you are writing and what kind of storyteller you are. You may want to write in one genre but, bizarrely, you find you actually write in another type of genre.
For example, I thought I would probably write literary fiction because, all through my life, I read the slightly more highbrow literary canon we have here in the UK. But when it came to the writing and putting a story down, I found I wrote very much commercial genre fiction and, even within that, I’m still finding my niche, starting off with women’s fiction and moving through to domestic psychological thrillers.
Trial and error in writing is all part of the process
It’s all part of the process. It’s all part of that trial and error and that’s when being a writer is like being a scientist. It’s not that it’s formulaic, it’s not that there’s one size fits all and this is a universal law, but there’s trial and error. Trying something that doesn’t work. Trying something new that doesn’t work. Making things out of nothing and creating magic out of your writing.
But don’t be ashamed of things not working and don’t be embarrassed that a story didn’t work. It’s all part of the process and I want to encourage you to see that trial and error as part of the fun of being a writer. You don’t know how it’s going to come out, you don’t know what’s going to happen next and that is what makes it exciting. It’s not that you need to be fearful of it or frightened of it, rather that it’s exciting, it’s part of the adventure and it’s part of the fun.
That is how being a writer is like being a scientist.
Emma xx
Emma Dhesi
Emma Dhesi is a Certified Author Accelerator Book Coach and bestselling author who helps writers let go of perfectionism, self-doubt and writer's block through her signature programme, Unlock Your Creative Block.
She is the host of the YouTube Channel, Emma Dhesi, where she interviews debut and experienced authors alike.
Through her 1:1 coaching programme, Emma helps new authors start and finish their first novel.
Emma provides personal written feedback on their pages and guides them through the emotional rollercoaster that is writing a novel!
