8 Life Lessons I Learned From History’s Greatest Writers

Admit it or not, you’re all writers. Think about it. So what does a writer do?

The author is the person who structures his thoughts and puts it into words. This is something you do every day. When you’re in a meeting, fighting with your spouse, bickering at a car dealership, or trying to raise your kids; You constantly put your thoughts into words.

Sure, many of you don’t write their thoughts. But that doesn’t matter. In fact, writing is thinking. If you want to be a better thinker and speaker, you have to get better at writing.

In this article, I share with you 8 life lessons I learned from the best writers in history. These lessons go beyond just writing something about life…

Here we go…

1- Stephen King: Don’t be assertive

“Never! Do not use jargon words such as conceptualization, displacement, attitudinal, and judgmental. These are the hallmarks of an assertive ass.” Stephen King

Do you know what type of person spends time with an assertive person? As you guessed it: Of course he is an ambitious person.

Nobody likes people who always want to impress others by claiming how sophisticated they are. Yes, you are smart! Yes, your grammar is perfect. We get it, you are. But I don’t care at all! Be real, don’t pretend. And most importantly, be a human being. Not only in writing, but also with your thoughts.

2- James Baldwin: Be a reader

“I have read everything. When I was thirteen, I shuttled between two libraries in Harlem. I learned a lot about writing this way. First of all, how little I know. The more I learn, the less people know. And I’m still learning how to write. I don’t know which technique is which. All I know is that you make the reader see it. I learned this from Dostoevsky, from Balzac.” James Baldwin

I’ve always been a fan of good reading, which will never change. In fact, the more I read, the more I love to read. Sitting on the couch with a book is my favourite.

In a nutshell, it is “Reading = life” for me.

3- Ernest Hemingway: Get a head start

“All you have to do is write a single sentence. The most accurate sentence you know.” Ernest Hemingway

Getting started is the hardest part of the job. And to avoid getting started, we do everything. “I am tired.” “Not the right time.” “I need to do more research.” We make sentences like

Steven Pressfield calls it “Resistance.” It is the force that keeps you from writing a single sentence. The Resistance knows that when you write a true sentence, the floodgates are open. And so it is with everything else in life. Tear down these dams and make a start, then continue…

4- JK Rowling: Be disciplined

“You have to work, but with discipline! And all the other things your schoolteacher wishes you had….Because you need it.” J.K. Rowling

Discipline is what separates professionals from amateurs. Discipline is the mark of someone who takes their craft and skills seriously.

How important is writing for you? Let me reframe this: How important is anything to you?

5- Ray Bradbury: Be stubborn

“When I started writing seriously, I made the greatest discovery of my life; that I am right and that everyone is wrong if they disagree with me. This is a great thing to learn: don’t listen to anyone else and stubbornly always go your own way.” Ray Bradbury

To do something brave in life, it is essential to be stubborn. Everyone will tell you that you did it wrong. Maybe they’re right. But what if they’re wrong? Do you think you run the risk of making such a mistake? I do not think like this. Do what you feel is right. That way you can’t go wrong.

6- Maya Angelou: Be brave

“A person is not born with absolute courage, but with potential. Without courage, no other virtuous act can be consistently demonstrated. We cannot be kind, truthful, compassionate, generous, or honest.” Maya Angelou

Being a good person takes courage. It takes courage to live a good life. It takes courage to improve yourself… These and many more take courage… Got it?

It is easy to navigate in safe waters and try to be loved by all. But it’s really hard to say everything on your mind. So be brave and do it anyway.

“Yes, I am 34 now. If I don’t make it by the age of 60, I’m just giving myself 10 more years.” Charles Bukowski

It can take years to reveal your own character and style. On top of that, we don’t know who we are, what our values are, and what we want out of life. We have to uncover these things that take time.

Everyone has a style. And the more you write, the more you can reveal your true style. So when you realize this, you automatically become more patient.

8- Ernest Hemingway: Love your art

“Writing is the only damn thing. If you’re not a painter, then you’re just painting.” Ernest Hemingway

Choose something you enjoy doing. Then it seems to you as if this is the only worthwhile activity in the world. You also need blind faith to overcome the obstacles that will come your way in difficult times. Because I can guarantee there will be moments when you want to give up. It doesn’t matter what you do; starting a business, writing a screenplay, dealing with the stock market, etc. However, in a weak moment, you will definitely feel the urge to stop doing it. During these weak moments, your faith will give you the strength you need to keep going.

Writing is a good metaphor for life. Sometimes it’s easy. Sometimes it’s hard. However, continuing is always worth it.

Whatever you decide to do with your life, accept your destiny and with love. It’s the only damn thing worth it after all.