by A.C. Williams @ACW_Author

What is the right way to tell a story? If you put ten writing experts in a room and ask them that question, you’ll get thirteen different answers.

Writing, and by extension storytelling, is an art, so much of what determines an excellent story can’t be quantified. But at the same time, writing (and storytelling) is also a science that can be studied and measured and graded, so it must be able to be evaluated in some way.

So who’s right? Are the mentors who tell you to stick to an outline right? Are the coaches who tell you to skip the outline and follow your instincts right? Whose curriculum do you listen to? Whose advice do you follow? Whose way is best?

Let’s address the elephant in the room first, okay? He’s taking up space.

The experts, the gurus, the coaches, and the mentors who specialize in teaching people how to write are neither totally right nor are they totally wrong. They all represent one possible way to write a novel or tell a story—not the only way.

There isn’t a foolproof formula for success. There’s no guaranteed 12-step strategy to becoming a bestseller. There isn’t a secret method for convincing agents or publishers to look at your work. In truth, the only way to write a novel is the way that works for you.

Your level of success in this industry is entirely individual. It depends on how you define success. It depends on the number of books you need to sell in order to feel successful. It depends on the editor you hire, the agent you pitch to, the publisher you work with. It depends on the season, the state of the book market in general, the state of Hollywood, the state of the economy. Many factors play a role in determining success, and most of them are elements you can’t change anyway.

Believe me. You can do everything right and still fail. You can check all the boxes and still flop. You can have the prettiest booth with the most professional book covers and people will still walk past you, eat your display candy, and tell you what you did wrong.

So if that’s the case and no expert or coach or teacher has the actual key to success in novel-writing, why are there so many of them flogging their wares in the online marketplace? Hey, if that’s the case, why are you even reading this blog post? Why listen to any other author’s experiences if there’s no actual blueprint to bestseller-dom?

Every author’s journey is unique and individual, because every author is a unique individual. But that doesn’t mean one unique author can’t learn from a different unique author.

There are enough similarities in our journeys that sharing our experiences in this industry can provide valuable insight to those who come after us. I’m just one author who found my own path, but that doesn’t make my way the only way. Just like it doesn’t make your way the only way.

Maybe Author A has found success with Program A. Maybe Author B has success with Program B. Maybe Author C found what they were looking for in a combination of Program A and Program B. Does that make one program better than the other?

Like in other areas of life, if you have found a curriculum or a program or a strategy that works for you, pursue it. Go after it. Use it to the fullest extent of your ability. But also understand that what works for you may not work for someone else.

How then do we discuss different writing programs or curriculum and methods of instruction? Do we tell our friends and coworkers that we have the only way to write and that using any other method is wrong? Do we pick a favorite method and tear all the others down?

Obviously, there’s nothing wrong with sharing your personal experiences and opinions, but those who are wise don’t make assumptions about what another person needs.

For example, I don’t use the Save the Cat method of storytelling. My brain isn’t wired to work that way. But I know many people who have found it valuable in understanding how to construct a story. What would happen if I walked around talking about how awful Save the Cat is?

The likely result is that I would prevent people from using that resource, and if they are the intended audience, they would struggle because they took my advice. Another potential result, albeit less likely (because I’m nobody lol), is that I would but a barrier between me and the author of the Save the Cat method. If I go around bad-mouthing his work, he’s not going to look on me very favorably, is he?

If you are asked for an opinion on a method of writing, share your thoughts. Be honest. But don’t forget that what worked for you is what worked for you. Your way isn’t the only way.

Skip the agenda. Seek to inform, not manipulate. Then, let people make up their own minds.

Award-winning author A.C. Williams is a coffee-drinking, sushi-eating, story-telling nerd who loves cats, country living, and all things Japanese. She’d rather be barefoot, and if she isn’t, her socks won’t match. She has authored eight novels, three novellas, three devotional books, and more flash fiction than you can shake a stick at. A senior partner at Uncommon Universes Press, she is passionate about stories and the authors who write them. Learn more about her book coaching and follow her adventures online at www.amycwilliams.com.