Has It All Been Said?

Im age from: maralsassouni.com

In the last week, two different writing blogs that I follow and respect have posed ranting soliloquys lamenting the fact that nearly everything that could be said about writing has been said. In some ways I agree. I mean, there are only so many writing tips. In honest reflection, I don’t think I’ve seen anything ground breaking or new (to me) in over a year.

This is not to say that there haven’t been any great articles about writing. Sometimes it’s the writer and not the content that stirs and captures my imagination and inspiration. I get quite a bit of enjoyment reading the perspective on a topic from a favorite blogger. It is astounding sometimes.

At face value, all writing tips are essentially the same. Tips about voice, pacing, plot, grammar, character development and virtually any other writing advice you can think of tend to be fairly standard and with few exceptions, non-negotiable. Which is to say you could post them as one big article and be done with it.

Enter the internet and the ability of so many writers with so many capabilities and opinions and now we’ve got ourselves a different story. Boring old grammar tips take on a new life when a writer writes about grammar from a bold and fresh perspective. Laughing out loud whilst reading about grammar rules? Who would have thunk it?

It’s for this reason writing tips will never go out of style. New voices with new perspectives are constantly emerging and providing us new insight into old tips. It’s part of what makes the internet such a crazy fun place.

Another reason writing tips will never go out of style is that each and every day, a wanna be writer takes the first hesitant step into their new career by heading to Google and typing in the phrase “writing tips.” Chances are they will get a mixed bag of search results, some dating back years, others added just yesterday. It’s possible that the first article they click molds them and solidifies an opinion on writing that will stick with them for years to come. Imagine. If you have ever written an article about writing, you could be influencing a new writer who will then adopt your position and perspective on writing. How exciting! (and scary)

So I believe that everything has been said. I also believe that everything has not been said in every way possible. There’s always room for one more opinion or perspective.

What’s your take on this whole business of writing tips? Does it drive you crazy to see the same topics over and over or do you relish the chance to see another writer’s take on a subject?