Edgar Allan Poe made a career out of doom and despair, yet today, even a century after his death, he remains one of the most prolific writers the world has ever known. He might not be a textbook role model, but he knew the taste of failure, living a life that was pure chaos (some of it, definitely due to his own choices).

With a romantic knack for the eerie and a pen dipped in melancholy, Poe wrote masterpieces including The Tell-Tale Heart (1843), The Black Cat (1843), The Cask of Amontillado (1846), and The Raven (1845).

Much like his own life, his plots and their worlds are dark and thought-provoking, narrating tales that hit like a freight train.

“Because of his poverty and desperate need for cash, Poe wrote expressly for the market, in commercial genres and, to the extent he could, in a commercial style. He was forced to care about pleasing readers — and to this day, he pleases readers,” said Catherina Baab-Muguira, the author of “Poe for Your Problems: Uncommon Advice from History’s Least Likely Self-Help Guru,” who did extensive research on Poe for her book.

There is a lot to learn about writing from Poe. In this article, we’ve compiled the best writing tips from the man who won the world with his flaws.

5 Writing Tips from Edgar Allan Poe

1. Focus on the Unity of Impression

Poe wrote in his 1846 essay, “The Raven and The Philosophy of Composition,” about the unity of impression.

He wrote, “If any literary work is too long to be read at one sitting, we must be content to dispense with the immensely important effect derivable from unity of impression—for if two sittings be required, the affairs of the world interfere, and everything like totality is at once destroyed.”

Poe was always inclined towards short stories, as he believed that they held the audience’s attention better. While he wrote multiple short stories and poems, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket (1938) stands as the only novel he ever wrote.

As writers, it is important to analyze our content in bits and pieces. As Poe wrote, “What we term a long poem is, in fact, merely a succession of brief ones—that is to say, of brief poetical effects.”

That doesn’t mean that long formats are dispensable. The audience wouldn’t mind the length of the content as long as it is broken into cohesive pieces that are easy to swallow.

2. The Ending Is The Beginning Of The Journey

I think, broadly, there are two types of writers: those who go with the flow, figuring out one scene after the other from beginning to end, and then the others, who are reverse-calculating from the end to the beginning. Poe was one of the latter.

In this essay, Poe wrote, “It is only with the dénounement constantly in view that we can give a plot its indispensable air of consequence, or causation by making the incidents and especially the tone at all points, tend to the development of the intention.”

While there is nothing wrong with going with the flow, knowing the end “before anything be attempted with the pen” is definitely helpful, as it guides you, making sure that you do not go off track.

3. Begin With the Mood, Instead of Jumping Right Into the Story

Commonly, we take inspiration from history, current events, or dramatic events of life, and sew them together to create a narrative, filling in gaps as necessary. Poe recommends against this practice. “I prefer commencing with the consideration of an effect,’ Poe wrote in this essay.

Writers should decide the emotion they intend to convey through their content before brainstorming on story, characters, and plot points. Once you decide on the core effect that you want your content to have on your readers, you are set to choose the story that matches the vision. This enables you to choose stories that can produce the effect that you have in mind.

4. Don’t Try to Teach; Express

In his essay, The Poetic Principle 1850 (published after his death), Poe wrote, “A poem which is just a poem, and not trying to teach anything, is the most dignified kind.”

I believe this holds true for most types of literature, from screenplays to novels. As a reader, I do not enjoy when I’m being forced to learn or being convinced about an idea. Maybe that’s why I do not enjoy self-help books. Therefore, focus on the expression and the effect you want to cast on your audience, and the lesson in the story will show itself on its own.

5. Write as if You’re Solving a Mathematical Problem

In his 1846 essay, Poe shared a detailed breakdown of how he wrote The Raven. He wrote, “I select the Raven as most generally known. It is my design to render it manifest that no one point in its composition is referable either to an accident or intuition — that the work proceeded, step by step, to its completion with the precision and rigid consequence of a mathematical problem.”

While everyone may not agree with this approach, I have found it helpful in practice. Looking at the story like a mathematical problem enhances structural cohesion, helps track down loopholes, and pushes past writer’s block. It brings clarity to the entire thought.

Intuition paves the way for inspiration, but after that, solving for the variables first might be a faster and more efficient way to solve the overall equation. Try it out!

Which of these tips resonated the most with you? Do let us know which works best for you!