June 11, 2015 
Stacey 
I was flipping through brainpickings.org and came across some writing advice from Henry Miller that I liked and thought I’d share with our readers.
Apart from the fact that he was a master at his craft, Henry Miller’s advice feels timeless and random in the best of ways. I also like the fact that his suggestions based on his own writing habits are positioned as Commandments, an authoritative approach to getting your writing life in order. Mostly, I really like that he indicates clearly that you should work on one thing at a time until it’s finished. The rest of the ideas support this, and it’s an interesting thought. In our current culture, there’s very little focus on one thing at a time. Multi-tasking is the (not so) new normal. So the idea of working on one thing at a time until it’s done feels daunting and refreshing. How nice to have just one creative project to think about until it’s finished! While it might not always be practical or even possible, it does make one think about taking a breath and paying attention in a different way that could enhance productivity.
I also like that he tells writers to keep human and see people, go places and drink if you want to. It does conflict with his advice in point 11 to write first and always while painting, music, friends, cinema come afterwards (at least the drinking is still allowed!).
What parts of his advice resonate with you? People are so fascinating. I love hearing what makes a brilliant writer tick. Don’t you?
I love the fact that Miller was such a prolific workhorse who also recognized the importance of the passionate pursuit of life for writers. Anais Nin was, of course, much the same way, and I recommend the book A Literate Passion, which documents 20 years of their letters to each other.Pretty much this entire list of commandments resonates with me on some level. While I can only work in earnest on one manuscript at a time, I do tend to jot down notes on potential future projects as ideas come to me. The ability to focus on one thing while remaining open to new ideas and experiences requires a constant balancing act in this age of multi-tasking. This was a neat read.
I disagree strenuously with many of his “commandments”. The best I can say is that his list passes the belly-button test (i.e., everyone’s got one).
1. I like to switch between the serious novel and the high school play and the mystery story and back to the romantic novel. None of them ever feels like work, because I always work refreshed and interested, instead of feeling “forced” to finish one item.
2. I start a new project every time a hot idea hits. As a minimum, an outline is produced and characters are sketched out. Otherwise, the idea is lost.
3. If you are nervous, you have no business in this business. Or any other.
4. One of the best parts of writing is that you are not punching the time clock — so don’t quit just because it’s “time”. Never, never stop when you are on a roll! Lose the momentum and the work suffers.
5. True.
6. “Cement, not fertilizer?” I have no idea what he meant by this. What kind of writer are you when people don’t know what you mean?
7. Right on. People are your best inspiration for plots, dialogue, and characters.
8. Sometimes there is no pleasure in writing, for example, when you aren’t satisfied with the “ring” of the prose, or you feel that the events of the plot are contrived. You have to work without pleasure to fix it.
9. I agree with “exclude” if by this he means “edit ruthlessly”.
10. Nonsense! You have to think of future books! You cannot place all your interest, hopes, and dreams on the current one, just as you can’t rely on a single other person or event. Contingency plans rule.
11. No. If all you do is write, you aren’t much of a person. Which is more important in the long run?
Thanks, Nicole. And I like your list, D.C.!