Earlier this week, I appeared at the Mosman Youth Awards in Literature at the amazing Mosman Library, where I spoke to an eager crowd of 150 writers and their supporters. As my 9th year judging the awards, I wanted to share one central piece of advice about writing, applicable to emerging writers of any age.
In a world where AI can sort through the billions of words online and predict the most likely response to anything, it’s becoming more and more important to be unpredictable, and writers can do that through writing original stories, inspired by unique thoughts and expression. To find those unique thoughts and expression, I advised writers to continually explore the world around them, then experiment with words and how to use them.
Indeed, when you’re developing as a writer, it’s important to soar as high and free as you can on the wings of your own inspiration; and not to let yourself become grounded or limited by what others think might achieve awards, money, literary praise, or even high marks at school. Before you set ink to page:
- – Really consider what you think about the world.
- – Ask ‘what if’ questions and come up with your own answers.
- – Observe those around you, assess their flaws and defects, then decide for yourself what that might mean for the future.
- – Generate poignant reflections on society and life that resonate for you.
- – Delve into questions such as what it means to live, what it means to struggle, and what it means to die.
Because story is the best place to explore all this. Story is the best place to imagine and experiment freely with your self-expression; and if writers do this, in return storytelling can set them free, in ways they’d never imagined!
It certainly did for me. The other day, I found an old portfolio of my published work – from between the ages of 11-19 – and it evidences how I continually reflected on life experiences, then experimented with words and explored how I could use them:
- – I wrote, illustrated and produced a (very politically incorrect) magazine for my classmates, testing boundaries.
- – I wrote experimental poetry and prose for the official school magazine, The Milestone, experimenting with reader engagement.
- – I founded a writers’ society and invited unconventional guest authors, learning from resilient industry experience.
- – In Year 11, I won a writing competition about a tortoise that wanted to improve itself, expressing the transient nature of life.
- – As well as volunteering in the school library, I co-founded and was Vice Chairman of a European Society, and wrote annual reports for both.
- – Outside of school, I co-founded the youth section of a local political party and wrote its magazine, the PPB.
- – In school holidays, I organised work experience at two local newspapers, a daily paper and a fortnightly paper, exploring the world of journalism, if only to know it wasn’t for me.
- – And all the time, I was writing reams of original poetry, short stories and song lyrics.
Which is why, when reading the senior entries for this year’s competition, at times I felt a little sad that so many entries felt uninspired. It was almost as if the writers had allowed their imaginations to become overwhelmed by the pressure of writing good English for their HSC, and succumbed to a kind of creative anxiety that impeded their enthusiasm for the exploratory nature of story and creativity.
Most entries were well-written to an impressively high standard, but lacked the originality of thought and passion writers need to have in their own words in order to connect with readers. It put a barrier between us, as writer and reader.
So I made sure to commend those on my shortlist! Even if they did write a story inspired by a school-set task, they had layered their response with unique thoughts and expression, and thus pursued originality.
And I want to encourage emerging writers everywhere to do the same – be unique, and keep experimenting with words and how to use them. Do that, and you’ll not only stand out from the crowd who don’t, but you’ll be doing your future selves a huge favour.
Now I’m going to enjoy re-reading the MYAL 2024 winners! Congratulations, everyone!
