25 octobre 2020
We attended Mashigo’s first creative writing workshop at the Centre de Langues Yves Châlon on October 21st, and honestly, we couldn’t be more impressed! I mean, we knew the co-author of the latest Marvel audiobook was bound to give us some solid advice, but man, we were literally in awe of this woman’s every word!
After Mashigo told us how she got into writing, everyone kept bombarding her with questions about how to start their own writing journeys, and her answers truly spoke to our souls.
TIP 1 - “Write from the very beginning… or the very end”
Yes, you read that right, your ending can be your starting point too! If you don’t really know where to begin or you just have one big ending that you don’t know what to do with, just start from that very last chapter, then try to work your way up to that moment. Ask yourself questions like how it could’ve gotten to this and why. Make your way through each character and things will just start to reveal themselves.
TIP 2 - “Don’t mindmap”
In other words, don’t overthink it. This is what keeps a lot of young writers from getting started. You don’t need to have everything figured out before you start writing. You don’t have to have the whole story in your head. You only need a beginning, a middle and an end. The rest will come later.
TIP 3 - “Rush through it”
Get that first idea on paper. Stop procrastinating, obviously. It could be any time, there’s no perfect moment to start writing. Do it now. Put your favorite music on, make some coffee, and just write anything that comes to your mind.
TIP 4 - “You are right, you are not good enough”
Isn’t that every writer’s fear? We always ask ourselves the same question: Will I be good enough? Well, no. You see, and I’m quoting Ms Mashigo here, “you are not the same writer you will be at the end of your novel, and you’ll never be good enough until you get to the end of your story.”
TIP 5 - “Looking for perfection is the road to failure”
Deep down, we all know and believe that, but an aspiring writer can’t help but want to give the world his very best work, and rightfully so. But perfection takes time and effort. Besides, sometimes, there’s a particular beauty in every detail left untold, in every mystery and every imperfection.
TIP 6 - “The first draft is always rubbish”
Elaborating on the latter thought, no one starts with the very best at the first shot. Writers usually restart and reroute their work maybe a dozen times. You might even find yourself writing a completely different story in the end.
TIP 7 - “Never be afraid to create”
Your ideas are worth something, don’t let fear keep you from writing, whether it’s your fear of failure or your fear of how people will respond to your story. Fear is normal when you’re embarking on any new journey in your life, but don’t let it stop you from creating something good.
TIP 8 - “Ask someone to read what you write”
Entrust someone with your story and ask them to give you their honest opinion. Ask them if it’s just as pungent, enthralling, heartfelt, relatable or even humor-packed as you want it to be. Be open to add a few tweaks here and there or revamp a few plots. Your first reader’s input can have a huge influence on your writing process
TIP 9 - “Never throw away anything you’ve written”
Keep every story, draft, idea, or even character you've created. This is how you evaluate your progress and you never know when they might come in handy.
TIP 10 - “Nobody can write a story how you write your story”
That story you’re not so sure about is unique. No one will see or feel things how you see and feel them. In that sense, whatever you write will always be exceptional and different. So write about what you know and feel, and what you would want to read yourself.
So here you go -- the answers to all your doubts. We hope you are as pen-ready and eager as we were at the end of the workshop. We know how challenging it is to write and no one can really lay down rules for that wonderful craft. But Mohale Mashigo definitely knows how to inspire you to take that leap forward and pursue those stifled writing dreams of yours. So get ready, set, and write!
Hana Abdelsalam, étudiante de M2 CEMEO Bilangue-Biculture
