Ray Bradbury's Best Writing Advice for Aspiring Writers

From short stories to novels to screenplays, from horror to fantasy to realistic fiction, Ray Bradbury spun gold throughout his career.

He’s a literary sorcerer and, having penned masterpieces like Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles, Bradbury’s perspective on writing is holy to me.

His career flourished not only because he was talented but also due to his exceptional diligence and accountability to his craft. His demise is one of the greatest losses in literature and cinema.

If you want to be a writer but often second-guess yourself, check out Bradbury's advice to aspiring writers. Trust me, it will change your perspective about how you judge your work.

5 Literary Tips From Ray Bradbury

Here’s how to embark on your writing journey, Ray Bradbury style.

1. Continue Writing Short Stories Until You Learn How to Write a Novel

Writers often forget that writing can be improved through practice, just like any other skill set. There is no other way to become a better writer.

We understand that some are blessed (every field has prodigies), but that doesn’t mean the rest do not stand a chance. In any case, a rusty talent is as good as none.

For those just starting out, Bradbury recommended not jumping into writing a novel first, however tempting it might be. He gave this advice at the Sixth Annual Writers' Symposium by the Sea.

The logic is simple. A novel can take years to materialize, and it might not be good in the end, simply because you’re not experienced enough to take on such an ambitious project.

Instead, start writing short stories for at least a year before committing to writing a novel. Aim for at least one story per week for an entire year.

Bradbury said in his keynote address, “[It] doesn’t matter what the quality is to start, but at least you’re practicing. At the end of the year, you’ll have 52 short stories, and I defy you to write 52 bad ones.”

According to him, this practice trains you in learning how to compile information and identify ideas. Psychologically, this keeps you happy because you see yourself being productive at the end of every week.

This happiness is one of the underdog motivations for a writer to keep writing. Otherwise, without a deadline hanging over your head, what can keep you focused?

2. Write What You Love

As writers, we often helplessly procrastinate about what to write. Ray Bradbury has the simplest mantra: write what you love.

According to Sam Weller, Bradbury’s authorized biographer, who spent 12 years with him to write his biography, Bradbury only wrote about things he loved. His topics were always chosen by his inner child, whom he never let go of.

This explains all the dinosaurs, deep space, and magicians in his stories!

Bradbury often instructed new writers to make a list of 10 things they loved and then asked them to write a story, poem, or essay about each one. Quoting Bradbury from Weller’s book about him, “Love is the answer to everything.”

3. Your Stories Must Have Metaphors

Again, in his keynote address, Bradbury urged audience members to “stay away from most modern anthologies of short stories,” saying that they’re slices of life and do not explore narratives using metaphors.

Therefore, they’re not exactly the best and desired examples of short stories.

In his book, Bradbury told Weller, “You can put any name on it you want. Metaphor. Myth. But we must live by these messages. We have to form images in order to survive. We have to remember portions of our lives as metaphors.”

“The ability of seeing a metaphor and knowing how to write the metaphor, and to make collections, even, the better off you’ll be,” said Bradbury. “Then you’ll be ready for the novel.”

4. Read Every Night

According to Bradbury, there’s no real way to teach someone how to recognize metaphors. Think of it as literary enlightenment.

To achieve that, Bradbury recommended voracious reading. At the very least, he recommended that every writer read one short story, poem, and essay every night before calling it a day. These reads should be from across different genres and subjects.

The idea is to cram your head with as much information as possible, from every field, so that they bombard each other, in a million possibilities, to generate new ideas. As you read and read, your mind will begin to pick up on the metaphors in the writing.

Bradbury recommended several authors, including Nigel Kneale, John Collier, Catherine Anne Porter, Washington Irving, Edgar Allan Poe, Lauren Eiseley, Herman Melville, and Nathaniel Hawthorne.

5. Don't Think

I am guilty of being too harsh on my first draft. I am sure many of you do the same and end up in a vicious loop of achieving perfection in the first draft, hardly ever finishing it.

Bradbury recommended strictly against this, according to Weller.

He believed that first drafts should be written without any hindrance. Anything and everything that comes to your mind should be penned down. (This is often called a "vomit draft.") He believed that truth lies in quickness. The faster you finish your first draft, the more you retain the essence of the real idea. Thinking while writing is like blocking intuitive writing.

In an interview with CUNY-TV in 1974, Bradbury said, “I’ve had a sign over my typewriter for 25 years now which reads, 'Don’t think.’ You must never think at the typewriter, you must feel.”

Once done with the first draft, Bradbury would indulge in slow, thorough revisions until the final draft, now analyzing everything with intellect. This ensures that any good idea is not discarded in the heat of the moment.

Ray Bradbury was a believer. He began writing short stories at the age of 12 and wrote his first “decent” short story at 22. He waited and practiced patiently until he was ready to commit to his first novel, and started Fahrenheit 451 when he was almost 30.

To him, all that waiting and practicing was worth it. And he's not wrong! That book is bomb. And all his other books and creations, too!

So, maybe you’re not a bad writer. You just haven’t practiced enough. And now, you know how to train that pen and your mind.