There is so much advice out there for aspiring writers, it can be pretty overwhelming. Some of it will work for you and some of it won't because we're all unique individuals and there are no one size fits all pieces of advice. At least I haven't found one yet!
Some pieces of advice that have worked for me?
- read widely
- write, write, write
- find YOUR voice
- have fun
I'm over at
From the Write Angle today talking about how 1 piece of advice can work in 5 different ways. I hope you'll stop over and check it out.
What piece of advice has worked well for you?
Brilliant advice, Jemi! Brilliant!
ReplyDeleteDoing a writerly course or three really helped me! Take care
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Those four things work for me.
ReplyDeleteAll such great advice. I need to do more of the writing right now.
ReplyDeleteOne piece of advice that worked for me is: Stop trying to change your process into something suggested by somebody else. The way you write is the way you write. Go with it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lynda! :)
ReplyDeleteOld Kitty - taking courses is so smart! There is always so much to learn!
Alex - me too!
Natalie - it can be so hard to find time to do it all!
Dianne - I'm still working at that! I'd like to be more of a plotter, but it's so hard to change!
Have fun. That's the best advice! And I'm off to visit you at From the Write Angle.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorites is from Julia Cameron: “In order to be a good writer, I have to be willing to be a bad writer. I have to be willing to let my thoughts and images be contradictory. . . . If only we could give ourselves permission to write ‘badly,’ so many of us would write very well indeed.”
ReplyDeleteHeading on over to your guest post!
Happy reading and writing! from Laura Marcella @ Wavy Lines
The best piece of advice I can give is to keep submitting. Nothing will get accepted if it's sitting in a file on your computer... except not to bother this month as it feels as if all publishers are away on vacation!
ReplyDeleteThanks Stephen! :)
ReplyDeleteLaura - love that quote and the idea behind it! We do have to get comfortable with writing badly in order to have it down!
Karen - love that! It's so important to get the story down in order to fix it!
Rosalind - that's a good one! I haven't submitted or queried in over a year as I've been working on the craft! :)
I put HAVE FUN at the top of that list!
ReplyDeleteReading and writing as much as you possibly can - that's my favorite advice! And even better, it's fun!
ReplyDeleteFantastic advice, Jemi...
ReplyDeleteThey do work! And having fun is the most important. Stressful writing will produce a jittery prose. Lighten up. Have fun. And go with the flow!!!
Lee - me too! Even when it drives me a little batty, I love it! :)
ReplyDeleteJulie - it really is! I can't think of too many better ways to spend time!
Michael - thanks! The words always come better when we're relaxed! :)
Love the other blog post too, and this one also - especially have fun - so important, if you're not, then why do it?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your lovely comment on Alex's blog and for stopping by mine too! Today is a very special day!
Those are all excellent pieces of advice. Along with "have fun", I'd suggest letting yourself write in whichever genre you're truly passionate about (no matter how popular or unpopular it is at the time). That way, your research won't feel like work, and you'll enjoy your own book so much more!
ReplyDeleteYolanda - it certainly is! Enjoy every last moment of it!!
ReplyDeleteShelley - thanks! I agree - I love a lot of genres but my heart is all about the romance! :)
Those are a good four pieces of advice to highlight. I've expanded the genres I read and I' think that has helped me.
ReplyDeleteSusan - yes! I read fairly widely and always have and it sure does help a lot!!!
ReplyDeleteProbably the best single advice was not to be bothered by a terrible first draft!
ReplyDeleteThe best advice I received was always be willing to learn more.
ReplyDeleteI'm always finding new ways of writing that helps me.
Beth - yes! That's so important!!
ReplyDeleteKathi - that's a great one! There's always so much to learn! :)
Hey Jemi,
ReplyDeleteThe best advice is indeed to have fun and not put pressure on yourself. If you write variety, find your "voices".
My best advice to you humans is to become the character or object you are writing about. Right directly to the one person or animal reading your story. Make it intimate.
Pawsitive wishes, eh,
Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar! :)
Penny - I completely agree. We write because we love it - sometimes we need to remember that! Good advice on really getting to know the character too - makes it much more real for the reader. Say hi to Gary for me! :)
ReplyDeleteThat pretty much rounds it out, Jemi. :) Maybe, find your most efficient writing style, stick to it, but don't be afraid to grow and change?
ReplyDeleteSandy - I like that! If we stop learning, we totally stagnate and that's never any good! :)
ReplyDeleteThose four-- mostly READ!
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Danette - there really is no substitute for reading a lot!!
ReplyDeleteWrite what 'you' love to read. And like you say, read a lot ... which goes without saying!
ReplyDeleteDon't know about you, but I can't close my eyes at night without reading at least a few pages :)
Wendy - so very, very true! I think I've read before bed pretty much every single night since I learned to read :)
ReplyDeleteThose are great ones!! I like to oak in as much as I can and take what works. Sifting can be hard, but it's the best.
ReplyDeleteLisa - so true. I always like to try new things, but sometimes they don't last long as they just don't work for my brain! :)
ReplyDeleteI agree that the pieces of help you mentioned are awesome! I also like the advice I have been given to read about being a writer for my genre to continue to work on my craft.
ReplyDeleteGreat list!
~Jess
Thanks Jess - and that's a great one too! So much good stuff out there :)
ReplyDeletemy fav is to write write write. the more you do, the more you discover the rest listed
ReplyDeleteOne piece of advice in five different ways? I'm off to check it out------------
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Tammy - yes! There's nothing quite like writing to get better at it! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Michelle! :)
most writers don't really have their voice (I can tell you that as the industry professional) so I'd try to find that one if me was an author :)
ReplyDeleteI love those top four you chose. And after a lot of years writing, I'd say those hold true. :)
ReplyDeleteDezzy - it isn't as easy to find as you'd think! It's taken me years :)
ReplyDeleteLaura - thanks! I find those the most helpful! :)
Great advice and I'll check out the link.
ReplyDeleteMedeia - thanks! :)
ReplyDeleteI think read is very good advice, but like you said, I think there is a point where a person can be given too much and while trying to apply it all will only make things hard on themselves. Each writer has to find their own balance and what works for them.
ReplyDeleteJack - exactly! I haven't met 2 writers yet who have the same style or voice or journey - and it's fun that way! :)
ReplyDeletedont quit!
ReplyDeleteand there is a fan base for u out there!
headed over!
Tara - those are both awesome pieces of advice!! Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteOne piece of advice that I like to incorporate now... Reread the scenes that you love in novels and learn from them.
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Michelle - that's such great advice! It really does help! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat mini list! I'd add - find your voice and hone it. I've been trying to keep my voice even while I tighten up other aspects of my writing.
ReplyDeleteDeniz - that's a great one to add! I find I sometimes lose that voice during rewrites and need to find it again during revisions!
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