One of the hardest jobs of being a writer is refusing to settle. Not settling for average characters, not settling for average plot lines, not settling for average plot developments. Not settling for providing the same story people have already seen. Because let’s be honest. It’s much easier to write whatever comes to mind and call it a day.
— scriptshadow.net
◆
Comments
Loading comments…
📖 Notes & analysis
The reason this advice works is that the first idea to arrive is almost always the most familiar one, the one your brain grabbed because it required the least effort. Refusing to settle means treating that first idea as a starting point, not a destination. Say your story needs a mentor character. The easy version is a wise old teacher. Push past that, and maybe the mentor is a former rival, someone who resents having to help at all. Same function, richer friction. The caution is that endless refusal can become its own trap. If every choice must be the cleverest possible option, you risk sacrificing clarity and heart for novelty, producing something impressive but hollow. The goal isn't to avoid the obvious forever. It's to earn the right to use it, by making sure you've truly looked past it first.
Comments