I know I'm friends with and connected to a lot of writers out there, and this is directed to you.
Though I've been writing in various forms for a long time now (people even pay me to do it, so..), one of my goals for 2023 is to become a better writer.
So, other than reading a lot (putting good words in your ears, as it were) and writing a lot, what's the best advice you've heard or received for improving your writing? Thanks in advance.
@jennybristol
The best writing advice I every received was to join a critique group. I have learned more in critique groups than I have by any other method. It was a struggle at first, as I took criticism personally. But once I let go of that (or tried to), I learned a lot. Because even if I didn't agree on a proposed solution to a problem someone identified in my writing, I learned there was a problem to solve.
@Nichelle Thank you!
When people tell you there's a problem believe them. When they tell you how to fix it ignore them.
@Jollyspaniard Love this. Thank you!
@jennybristol The best advice I can give is to read pre-published writing, not just published works. Volunteer to be a beta reader or critique partner for another writer. You'll see the evolution of the writing process, and you'll start to pick up why things aren't working within your own #writing. It's probably the fastest way to improve your rewriting and editing skills.
This #blog post talks more in depth about what I'm referring to.
#writingtips #writingcommunity
https://blackwolfeditorial.com/be-a-good-reader-of-the-unpublished/
@judylmohr That's great advice. Thank you. I'll go read the article!
I've heard a lot of advice.
One that seems legit:
Read "bad" writing. Read it critically, pry up the deck plates, and analyze why it doesn't work for you.
It's all but impossible to learn from great writing. It's so good you can't find the seams. It can offer inspiration, but the lessons come from the errors you can see in somebody else's work that you may not see in your own until they're pointed out.
1/x
The other piece that I've found most helpful is publish a lot.
Listen to what the readers say - good and bad - but treat it as questionable advice.
Just consider it. Do they reflect what you tried to accomplish? Do they even recognize it?
Did you try to accomplish something with that piece?
Readers see things in the work and will tell you about themselves when they tell you what they saw.
Their Rorschach stories can inform your writing when the two don't agree.
2/2
3/2 I wrote about deliberate practice a couple weeks back here:
@nlowell @jennybristol
Hi Jenny. I saw your post earlier and it got me thinking about how many musicians try to improve their playing by running over the same few tunes. It's lazy and they never really improve. However, when you analyse the sound of every single note and phrase, and strive to improve it before moving on, the magic starts to happen.
Now imagine taking that approach with every word and phrase you write... Can you even enjoy reading when you see a flaw in every sentence?
The difficulty comes with deciding what "improve" means.
It's pretty easy if you can point to something and say "I can make that thing better."
It's a lot harder if all you have is a feeling that the piece doesn't do what you want.
It's *really* easy to look at somebody else's writing and say "That sucks" but much, much more difficult to admit "that sucks" just means "I wouldn't do it that way."
@nlowell @jennybristol Agreed. You have probably pointed out the main difference between a musical performance and a work of fiction. If you know what 'perfect' sounds like, and you know that the artist is consistently good, you are hardly likely to get up and walk out at the first squeaky note.
Conversely, I'm far too picky to enjoy what I read. I often wonder how many pages I have to get through before it dawns on me that I might be wasting my time. I'm not sure if this is a common failing.
I'm much more willing to accept "bad writing" now than I was earlier in my career.
I'm way less willing to accept stories I don't want to read.
If an author can get me through the sample, I'm likely to buy the book.
I care most about characters and setting. Give me something interesting there, and I'll forgive a lot.
A dud opening, a long winded prologue, or backstory wearing a snappy-repartee mask usually gets booted.
@nlowell @jennybristol Thanks Nathan. After a perusal of your bio, I am really struggling to understand how such an avid reader ever finds time to write anything longer than a shopping list.
By the way, as a musician, I rarely listen to music, especially when I'm in a writing phase. It's not a conscious decision but I worry that my original ideas might be tarnished rather than influenced by all the 'noise'. I prefer to dream my own dreams but I get the impression I might be in the minority.
Writing is what I love to do.
Reading is something I need to do to support my writing. I always say "If I'm not writing enough, it's because I'm not reading enough."
This last year I read way more than normal and wrote almost nothing. Chemo brain destroyed my focus.
2023 will be a "rebuilding" year as I get back into writing, pull back from reading, and focus more on balance.
But I still hope to publish 4 novels next year :D
@nlowell @jennybristol Best of luck Nathan and good health too. We all need a New Year's Revolution! Mine has started early with a new set of strings and a determination to wear them out before Easter.
@nlowell Ooo. Thank you. Definitely great advice. I appreciate the multi-faceted-ness of what you have to say. I'll check out your post! Thanks so much.