Comments on: Helpful Tips?

By: Phillipa

Phillipa — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 09:49:08 +0000

Jess – I think ‘be yourself’ is the key. But as Susan says, it’s not easy it it?

By: Jessica Raymond

Jessica Raymond — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 09:35:52 +0000

Thanks for the link, Pip, I enjoyed her tips. I think that both you and Susan have hit it on the nail here, as have Amanda, Rosy, Julie, and Nell — just be yourself and keep writing!

Jess x

By: Phillipa

Phillipa — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 08:37:08 +0000

Iwanted to open a debate and I’m pleased that so many people have joined in. There is some thought-provoking ‘advice’ on the Susan Donovan website(US author published by LBD). I’m not saying that writers’ tips aren’t useful – I’m only asking aspiring writers to take a critical approach to them (in the proper sense of the word). As I said in my original post, I received some excellent advice from several generous romance authors – much of which I can’t repeat. LOL One hint to me by email literally changed the course of my writing life. It went against other advice I was hearing but instinctively I knew it was right *for me.* It’s not nice worrying about finances but I’ve been a freelance writer for ten years now and so I know what that’s like. Things are tough in the business world too… and many people work at two or even three jobs that are not as much fun as writing by a long way.

http://www.susandonovan.com/writers.aspx

By: Nell Dixon

Nell Dixon — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 23:08:00 +0000

Great post, everyone approaches writing from a different angle so we all need different things at different times and being published doesn’t mean you stop learning. You learn different things. I was and still am really grateful for all the help and advice I’ve had both before publication and since and I try very hard to pay that back however I can.

By: Julie Cohen

Julie Cohen — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 21:01:34 +0000

I do have to say that you don’t have MORE to worry about after publication than before, necessarily, but you have DIFFERENT things to worry about which can be just as important, and possibly more so.

Wanting to be published very badly and keeping on getting setbacks is horrible–but so, for example, is being published and not being sure whether you’re going to be able to pay the bills because your publisher might drop you. In the first case it’s a big blow to the ego–in the second it’s a big blow to your ego and your career and your wallet. In any case, I don’t think worries are quantifiable–it all depends where you are at the time, what kind of person you are, and what else is happening in your life.

But I agree with you that published writers should be careful about belittling the experience of unpublished writers. It does no one any good.

I hate that “writers are born” malarky that Amanda mentions, too–it seems a statement only designed to be self-congratulatory and/or damning to others. And how on earth can you tell what you were “born” to do? Where does that leave all the “born” writers who were/are living in a time or place where they are illiterate or too poor or the wrong gender or colour to spend time writing? It’s utter nonsense.

By: Rosy Thornton

Rosy Thornton — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 09:54:13 +0000

Fascinating ‘tips’…!

My pet hate (only because I can never live up to it – because actually I think it has the ring of being excellent advice) is people saying that you should know your characters so well that you could answer ANY QUESTION about them without even needing to think. What colour underwear they have on, whether they enjoyed school, what their favourite flavour of ice-cream is, how many fillings they have in their teeth….

I never know my characters that well. Yes, I know how they will behave when I put them in certain situations, but they are always uselessly blurry round the edges for me. In particular, I am rubbish at visualising them physically. Half the time I couldn’t even tell you whether they are dark or blond, tall or short, cute or ugly. Only if another character is falling in love with them (which does happen from time to time!) do I find myself noticing what they look like, and only because then that other person looks at them that way…

Rosy x

By: Jessica Raymond

Jessica Raymond — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 09:33:30 +0000

Well said, Pip. I’ve read loads of stuff in books and on the web about how to write and let’s be honest, there is no way all of it can be correct — especially when some tips contradict others. For me, the best thing was to read all the info I could get my hands on, and then take what I needed from it.

One thing that always grates on me a little, though, is when people say that if you do not itch to write 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, you’re not searching for a pen and unable to think of anything else, then you will never be a writer. For me, writing has often been a struggle. I love it when I get in the zone and all I can think about is writing, but equally there are times when I find writing very hard and I end up scrubbing the toilet and hoovering the banisters just so I won’t have to sit down and do it. Of course, I eventually get round to it, but writing is not easy. I love it, but it’s not easy.

My two pence!

Jess x

By: Phillipa

Phillipa — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 21:22:10 +0000

Amanda – Well I hope they aren’t born because I’m 43 so I’ve taken a long time about finding out! I think there is a lot to be learned from wwebsites and I;ve had some fantastic advice from other writers – often by email. But I have also almost given up at times, feeling I didn’t match up to expectations. I still make a lot of mistakes and I still worry that I’m not doing things ‘the right way’!

Any other pet hates ?

By: Amanda Ashby

Amanda Ashby — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 20:39:26 +0000

My pet hate was being told that ‘writers are born not made’. The assumption was always that the writer making the annoucement WAS born to it, and anyone else who wasn’t published at the time (such as me), obviously WASN’T born to it. I spent far too long fretting about this concept – actually, I still do, just in case it’s all been a terrible mistake!!!!!