It’s very easy to overwork something. It doesn’t matter what your craft is. We tend to overwork, overthink and overanalyse everything. The secret is having confidence in what you do.

In the world I’m in, it’s about respecting life and language as the true source of art. I’m just the writer. I allow the story, the emotion, the thought to present itself. Whether it’s a quiet observation, a passing memory, or a fleeting insight. I’m trying to put words to something that’s already there. I’m not trying to force a narrative or overwork the scene. I write what’s in front of me.

Keep it simple. Allow life to be the true artist. Allow it to do the work. You’re just the writer.

Everything you write should be an extension of who you are. Draw from your past experiences, your perspective, the way you see the world. When all of that comes together, it becomes something truly unique to you.

When we’re young or new to a craft, we tend to overdo it. We’re given all this advice, all these rules, all these tools, and we feel we have to use every single one.

But if you look at the truly great writers, they make it look so simple, don’t they? They just allow it to be simple.

Inspired by Marco Pierre White