7 Bits Of Writing Advice From H. G. Wells

Discover seven practical pieces of writing advice from H. G. Wells, from writing at strange hours to using plain language.

Who Was H. G. Wells? 

H. G. Wells was an English writer best known for pioneering science fiction with novels such as The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, and The Invisible Man. He also wrote contemporary fiction, history, social commentary, politics, and journalism.

Wells was born on 21 September 1866 and died on 13 August 1946. Wells pioneered the science fiction genre along with other writers like Jules Verne. His fiction often explored science, technology, society, and the future, but his ideas about writing remain useful to writers today.

Here are seven bits of writing advice from H. G. Wells.

7 Bits Of Writing Advice From H. G. Wells 

1. Change Your Writing Routine

‘If you are in difficulties with a book, try the element of surprise: attack it at an hour when it isn’t expecting it.’ ~ H. G. Wells, quoted by Osbert Sitwell in The Scarlet Tree (1949)

When you are stuck on a piece of writing, changing your routine can help you approach it differently. Write at a different time of day, move to another room, or work somewhere you don’t normally write.

The change can interrupt your usual habits and help you see a difficult scene, character, or idea from a fresh perspective. You don’t always need to solve a writing problem by working harder at it. Sometimes you need to approach it differently.

Wells’s advice is a reminder to experiment when your usual writing routine isn’t working. A small change can be enough to get you moving again.

2. Learn The Craft

‘I realised that I had still to learn the elements of this writing business.’ ~ H. G. Wells, Experiment in Autobiography (1934)

Wells was willing to admit that becoming a writer meant learning the craft. He realised that producing a lot of writing was not enough. He needed to learn how to write well.

He went back to the basics, working on short essays and short stories before attempting more ambitious work. This is useful advice for writers at any stage: master the fundamentals before worrying about writing the perfect novel.

Read widely, practise regularly, study how good writing works, and revise what you produce. Writing is a craft, and you can improve it by learning and practising.

3. Write With Plain Language

‘I write as straight as I can, just as I walk as straight as I can, because that is the best way to get there.’ – Experiment in Autobiography (1934)

Wells makes a strong case for clarity. You do not need complicated words or elaborate sentences to make your writing sound intelligent.

Choose words that communicate what you mean. Cut jargon, unnecessary phrases, and anything that makes the reader work harder than necessary to understand your meaning.

Plain language does not mean dull writing. It means giving your ideas, characters, and stories a clear path to the reader.

4. Study Human Nature 

‘Man is an imperfect animal, and never quite trustworthy in the dark.’ ~The Open Conspiracy: What Are We to Do with Our Lives? by H. G. Wells (1928)

Writers need to understand people. Our characters become more convincing when we understand what people want, fear, hide, regret, and do when they believe nobody is watching.

Pay attention to human behaviour in everyday life. Notice how people react under pressure, how they behave differently with different people, and what they do when their interests conflict with their principles.

5. Don’t Lose Yourself In Planning

‘An artist who theorises about his work is no longer artist, but critic.’ ~The Temptation of Harringay by H. G. Wells (1895)

Planning can help you write, but it can also become a way of avoiding the actual work.

There is always another writing book to read, another outline to create, or another discussion to have about your story. At some point, however, you have to put the plan aside and write.

You do not need to know everything before you begin. Your story may reveal better ideas once you start putting words on the page.

6. Don’t Romanticise The ‘Tortured Artist’

‘I had rather be called a journalist than an artist.’ – HG Wells In A Letter To Henry James

Wells’s comment reflects his preference for writing that had a clear purpose and connection to the real world. He did not seem interested in the idea that writers needed to live dramatic or tortured lives in order to produce meaningful work.

Writers do not need to suffer for their art. You can take your work seriously without turning writing into an identity built around misery, isolation, or emotional turmoil.

Treat writing as a craft. Read, observe, practise, revise, and keep writing.

7. Give Your Story Rules

‘Nothing remains interesting where anything may happen.’ ~ H. G. Wells, ‘Preface to The Scientific Romances of H. G. Wells’ (1933)

Even the most imaginative story needs rules. If anything can happen at any moment, readers have no way of understanding what is possible or predicting what might happen next.

This is particularly important when writing science fiction, fantasy, or other speculative fiction. Establish what is possible in your story world, then stay consistent. If your characters have special powers, technology, or access to a different reality, give those elements limits.

When readers understand the rules, they can become invested in the consequences. The more surprising the story, the more important those boundaries become.

The Last Word

H. G. Wells wrote about the future, but much of his advice is still useful to writers today. His ideas encourage us to experiment with our routines, write clearly, observe human behaviour, revise carefully, and spend less time talking about writing and more time doing it.

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