Write Like a Designer: Lessons from the Project Runway Workroom

Writing Lesson - What Fashion Design Taught Me About Writing

I have a secret obsession with Project Runway. When it first aired, I sat glued to my TV, fully engrossed in the designers. I got good at yelling at them and their designs. As if they could hear me.

I love when they come up with and idea, then get 30 minutes and $200.00 to shop. It’s a frenzy that gets my heart racing. It’s here at the very start that is that can make or break them. Choose wrong and they’ll be going home after the runway show.

Fashion Designers and Writers have a lot in common.

I watched as they second-guessed themselves, had breakdowns, took risks (and failed). Or they were excited and worked with a passion. When they did the first model fittings, some of the designers had almost complete outfits while others had literal scraps they were piecing together.

Then came judgment day. Some designers stood proud behind their creations, even though the model was struggling to walk or the outfit was so awful I couldn’t look away. Others sat by and smiled, encouraging everyone else while they hoped they were good enough to make it to the next round.

Following the runway show, the judges provided feedback to each designer. Those who didn’t make it were told things like:

📢You second-guessed yourself.

📢You didn’t listen to your gut, and it shows.

📢This design is not you.

📢This outfit you created is not cohesive.

📢Who is your client?

📢What story are you telling?

📢Learn to edit — you’ve done too much.

Those who got positive feedback were told:

📢Your voice and vision are shining through your design.

📢We can tell you had confidence in your look.

📢You listened to the last advice we gave you, and it shows.

📢Your look is elevated.

📢Your look is polished and put together.

📢You know who your client is.

I related to all of those statements, not as a designer but as a writer. The lesson I learned is that writers and designers are both artists. While the media form is different, they both create. I am glad that I am not alone in the negative parts of the creative process — it’s normal.

Start With a Plan

If you’re a writer, you will say all of the statements above to yourself. You need to start with a GOOD PLAN. You will second-guess why you’re writing. You will put too much information into your book, and have to edit. Edit. Edit.

Like the designers who succeeded, before you start writing, craft a plan for yourself. Get your vision laid out by knowing what the story is you want to tell. What is your point of view? Who is your client (your reader)? When you start to second-guess your work, step back, take a deep breath, and get back to it.

Above all, get advice (critique partners or a coach), but ensure that you’re still listening to your heart and your gut when taking advice. Listen to the criticism and don’t defend yourself. Take what you need and become a better writer.

Know Your Reader

Not everyone is your reader. And that’s ok. Just like not everyone is going to want to wear an outfit with six sleeves with eyeballs on the chest (that could be a real outfit). A specific person is reading your book, and you are responsible for creating something for them.

Then there is the edit. You don’t need to throw everything you think into your book. Hold back a little, the reader is intelligent, they can figure things out. If you put too much in your plot, the reader will become overwhelmed — unless, of course, your reader loves that.

Here’s the best advice from Project Runway you can instill in your writing life. It’s a quote from Coco Chanel:

“Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.”

In writing:

“Before you say you’re finished, look at your manuscript and take one thing out.”

I don’t know, it works for me. Right now, I am in the process of taking out a character. She might end up in another book, but the current book — she’s toast.

---

Want to know how to create a plan for you book before you write it? Need help with your idea? Can't figure out your reader? Or, do just need some constructive feedback? Book my free 30 minute Get My Book Done session by clicking the button below.

Get My Book Done