Sage Advice for New Writers

The following are a few quotes given to me by mentors and friends, and a few that I've picked up in various workshops at conferences, along with a brief explanation of why I found this bit of advice worth passing along:

"Today, I give myself permission to write crap." -- James Rollins, ThrillerFest 2007

Far too often, writers get hung up on finding the right word or phrase.  We agonize over it.  We torture ourselves for hours or days.  This agony leads to writer's block, which frustrates us even more, and then suddenly we've eaten an entire gallon of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream and can't sleep because of the combined stomach ache, sugar rush, and caffeine high from the fourteen large white chocolate mochas we drank to combat the brain freeze brought on by the ice cream.

Okay, maybe it's not that extreme.   It's thirteen mochas instead of fourteen.  Regardless, the point I'm making here is that writers -- especially new writers -- have to learn that, in my opinion, one of the single most important tasks in writing is simply getting the ideas down on paper.   So what if you over use a few words?  They can be changed later.  It's called "editing" and "revision" for a reason.  Even if what you write on Monday meets with a quick death on Tuesday, it's okay and at least you're writing.

"My best advice is to ignore all advice." -- Lee Child, ThrillerFest 2007

Take a stroll through your local bookstore.   Turn down the "Reference" or "Language Arts" section, or whatever section in which they house their writing reference books.  Now look a the number of books written and published on the subject of writing.  Multiply what you see on the shelf by 100 and you'll barely scratch the surface of the "advice" available to new writers.  Here's the kicker: No two books or websites are going to offer the exact same advice.

New writers can become bogged down with the amount of info available.  I know I did when I first started out.  However, before I heard Lee Child speak at ThrillerFest and he summed up my personal belief in one sentence, I'd drawn my own conclusion that I simply couldn't follow every bit of advice out there.  If I had, I never would've finished my first novel or started any others.   Choose the advice you want to follow carefully.  If something doesn't "feel" right to you or seems contrary to the goal you're trying to accomplish, consider ignoring it and go with your instincts.  Just be certain you're willing to accept the consequnces of ignoring that advice if your instincts should prove wrong.   (I chose to ignore my sister's advice and watched The Exorcist...alone...in the dark...at night.  Let's just say Raggedy Ann and Ralph were never the same afterwards.)

The best advice, however, I've ever personally received was from Carolyn Haines, my friend and mentor. She said that a writer should write every day, even if it's only a single page. One page a day equals a very respectable length of 365 pages.

Having a positive attitude toward writing is essential.  Writing is hard work.  It requires the writer to spend a lot of time alone.  Frustrations lurk around every corner.  And absolutely no one decides to become a writer as part of a "get rich quick" idea.  That's why a positive attitude is essential.  Not only does this particular positive attitude toward writing produce a respectable length novel, it reinforces the writing process through practice.  We've all heard that "Practice makes perfection" and while it may not equal perfection in your first draft, it certainly gets you 365 pages closer.

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