From Edie: Discover 8 writing lessons from The Wizard of Oz that can help writers overcome fear, grow their craft, find community, and navigate the writing journey.
8 Writing Lessons Every Writer Can Learn from The Wizard of Oz
by Edie Melson @EdieMelson
I’ve grew up watching The Wizard of Oz on TV. It was always a huge event and we'd make an evening of watching it. So I have a lot of memories tied up in that movie. There’s just something about that yellow brick road, a pair of sparkly shoes, and a group of unlikely friends headed toward a destination they’re convinced will solve all their problems.
Writers are always looking toward the next destination.
- If I could just finish this manuscript.
- If I could just find an agent.
- If I could just get a publishing contract.
- If I could just sell more books.
- If I could just figure out social media.
- If I could just understand this AI stuff.
Surely, somewhere out there is a wonderful Wizard who can give us the thing we're missing and finally make this writing journey easier.
But Dorothy and her friends discovered something important along the way. Much of what they thought they needed from someone else was already inside them.
And I think we writers could learn a lot from that.
8 Things Writers Can Learn for the Land of Oz
1. Follow the Yellow Brick Road—but Don’t Expect It to Be Straight
Dorothy knows where she needs to go—the Emerald City.
Getting there turns out to be another matter entirely.
She begins with a clear road in front of her, but before long there are detours, dangerous encounters, unexpected friendships, and more than a few things trying to keep her from reaching her destination.
Welcome to publishing.
Very few writing careers unfold the way we expect them to. We may begin convinced we're going to write novels and discover God has opened doors for nonfiction. We may dream about traditional publishing and find ourselves considering indie publishing. We may plan to write books and suddenly find opportunities to speak, teach, blog, podcast, or mentor.
The destination may be clear while the route changes repeatedly.
I've learned not to confuse a detour with a dead end.
Sometimes God uses the unexpected parts of the journey to prepare us for where He's taking us next.
Keep moving. Keep learning. And keep watching for where He's leading.
2. Be Like the Scarecrow—Never Stop Learning
The Scarecrow is convinced he doesn't have a brain.
The funny thing is, throughout the journey, he repeatedly comes up with good ideas.
Writers can be a lot like that.
We look at successful authors and assume they know something we don't. We attend conferences and become overwhelmed by everything we haven't learned. We listen to editors, agents, marketing experts, and other writers and suddenly feel like the least knowledgeable person in the room.
But here's the truth. None of us begins knowing how to do this. Writing is a craft, and craft can be learned.
Study great books. Attend conferences. Find mentors. Join a critique group. Take classes. Read books on writing. Learn how publishing works. And yes, learn how new tools—including AI—can help us work more efficiently.
But don't let what you don't know convince you that you don't belong.
The Scarecrow was much smarter than he believed.
You probably are too.
3. Remember the Tin Man—Craft Without Heart Isn't Enough
The Tin Man desperately wants a heart.
Writers can become so focused on technique that we forget why readers pick up books in the first place.
Readers want to feel something.
We can construct the perfect plot, polish every sentence, follow every rule, and hit every expected story beat. But if our writing doesn't contain heart, readers will notice.
This applies to nonfiction too.
Readers don't just want information. They want connection. They want to know there's a real person behind the words—someone who understands their questions, fears, struggles, hopes, and dreams.
- Technique matters.
- Grammar matters.
- Structure matters.
But none of those can replace heart. The best writing doesn't just reach a reader's mind. It reaches their heart.
4. Take a Lesson from the Cowardly Lion—Write Scared
The Cowardly Lion believes he can't be courageous because he's afraid.
That's where he's wrong. Courage isn't the absence of fear. Courage is moving forward while we're afraid. And if we're going to stay in this writing business very long, we're going to need plenty of it. Writers need:
- Courage to submit a manuscript.
- Courage to walk into an appointment with an editor or agent.
- Courage to receive feedback.
- Courage to revise something we love.
- Courage to hit PUBLISH.
- Courage to read reviews.
- Courage to try again after rejection.
- Courage to admit something we've written isn't working.
I've been doing this a long time, and there are still moments when fear shows up.
The difference is that I've learned fear doesn't get the final vote. We can acknowledge fear without obeying it. Sometimes the bravest thing a writer can do is take the next step while our knees are still knocking.
5. Find Your Traveling Companions
Dorothy doesn't make it to Oz alone.
Along the way, she collects a rather unusual group of friends. None of them has everything needed for the journey. But together, their strengths fill in the gaps. That's one of the greatest lessons I've learned during my years in publishing.
We need each other.
We need writing friends who understand why imaginary people talk to us.
We need critique partners willing to tell us when something isn't working.
We need encouragers who remind us why we started.
We need mentors who are farther down the road.
And we need people who will celebrate when something wonderful happens without turning our success into a comparison with their own journey.
Writing may happen alone at a keyboard. But the writing life was never meant to be lived alone. Choose your traveling companions carefully—and treasure them.
6. Watch Out for Flying Monkeys
No writing journey would be complete without something swooping out of nowhere and causing chaos.
For Dorothy, it was flying monkeys.
For writers, it might be:
- A rejection we weren't expecting.
- An editor leaving the publishing house.
- A book launch that doesn't go as planned.
- An algorithm change.
- A computer crash.
- A harsh review.
- A deadline that suddenly moves.
- A marketing strategy that stops working.
- A publishing trend that changes everything.
We cannot control every flying monkey. But we can control how we respond when one appears. Panic rarely improves the situation. Neither does assuming every setback means God has closed the door. Sometimes a problem is simply a problem. Deal with what is in front of you. Ask for help when you need it. Adjust the plan. Then keep going.
And perhaps keep an umbrella handy. You never know what might be flying overhead.
7. Don't Believe Every Wizard Behind the Curtain
This may be one of the most important lessons for writers today.
Dorothy and her friends arrive in Oz believing the Wizard has all the answers. Then Toto pulls back the curtain. Writers encounter a lot of Wizards. There are people who promise they know the secret to becoming a bestseller. The guaranteed formula for growing our platform. The marketing strategy that will sell thousands of books. The AI tool that will supposedly do everything for us. The publishing shortcut no one else knows about. The course that promises we'll finally have the career we've dreamed about.
Some experts are excellent. I've learned from many generous, knowledgeable people throughout my career. But no human expert has all the answers. Before we spend money, change direction, abandon a strategy, or chase the newest shiny promise, we need to look behind the curtain. Ask questions. Do the research. Talk to people we trust. And most importantly, pray.
There is only One who knows the entire road ahead. He's the One whose direction I trust most.
8. Don't Forget the Ruby Slippers
Dorothy travels all the way to Emerald City looking for someone who can send her home.
In the end, she discovers she'd been carrying what she needed throughout much of the journey.
I think writers sometimes do the same thing.
We assume success will come when somebody finally gives us permission.
- An agent.
- An editor.
- A publisher.
- An award committee.
- A bestseller list.
- A large social media following.
But our calling doesn't come from any of those places. If God has called us to write, then our responsibility is to faithfully steward that calling. That doesn't mean we don't need education, editing, mentoring, or publishing professionals. We absolutely do.
But those people don't create our calling. And rejection can't take it away. Sometimes we need to stop looking for someone else to tell us we're writers and start faithfully doing the work God has placed in front of us.
One Final Thought
The thing I love about The Wizard of Oz is that everyone sets out looking for something they believe they're missing.
- A brain.
- A heart.
- Courage.
- A way home.
But somewhere along that yellow brick road, they discover they aren't quite as empty-handed as they thought.
That's a lesson I want to remember in my own writing journey.
Yes, I want to keep learning.
I want to grow.
I want to listen to wise people.
I want to become better at the craft God has called me to pursue.
But I don't want to spend so much time searching for the magical thing that will finally make me a "real writer" that I overlook what God has already given me.
The road ahead may twist.
There will probably be detours.
I'm fairly certain there will be a few flying monkeys.
But we don't have to know everything before we take the next step.
We just have to keep walking.
Now it's your turn. Which character—or lesson—from The Wizard of Oz reminds you most of your own writing journey? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Don't forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie
TWEETABLE
No comments:
Post a Comment