How much heed should we pay to writing advice

You should follow the advice that makes you go, "Oh, of course, why didn't I see that before."

If you don't have that kind of clarity, then you have not understood the advice properly and will not be able to implement it correctly.

Thus if someone tells you to remove all your adjectives, and you go "Oh, of course, those adjectives add nothing and just slow down the text," then remove them. But if you go "Huh, what the heck is wrong with my adjectives?", then leave them alone because you are not in a position to decide which to delete and which to keep, and the person offering the advice may be talking through their hat.

This is not to say that all the advice that make you go "Of course!" is good advice. There is a lot of grossly oversimplified advice out there that sounds great but really does more harm than good. But once you have heard advice that makes you go "Of course!" you are going to follow it anyway, at least until your mastery of the craft grows to the point where your realize the advice is crap.

Or, if you want a more specific litmus test for writing advice, come up with a set of five or so writers who you particularly admire (mine would probably be Steinbeck, Waugh, Lewis, Kipling, and L.M. Montgomery) and try applying the advice to their work. It they seem to follow it, follow it. If they seem to violate it, ignore it.

But even so, don't try to follow advice you don't understand. You cannot possibly do it correctly unless it makes complete and lucid sense to you.

posted over 7 years ago

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Mark Baker‭

4381 reputation 12 1104 745 58

I have two degrees in Creative Writing (that and $4.50 will get you a latte at Starbucks). For many years, I was in a writing group with several excellent writers, and we had different approaches to "advice" in the sense of working with different teachers. One of my fellow writers fought tooth and nail against every teacher, insisting on doing things her own way, no matter what they advised. I took a different route -- in each course, I essentially surrendered myself to that particular teacher, doing it their way, and then when the course was over, seeing what I got out of it that was useful to me.

My best advice is to read advice and then forget it -- just go write. Don't worry about advice or feedback or criticism until you've written what you want to write -- in some cases, your work will be too fragile to expose to the criticism of others. When you've written something that you're satisfied with, share it with someone you trust, a teacher, a fellow writer, a friend. D. Elliot Lamb makes an excellent point about workshop feedback -- it may be serving the responder much more than it is serving you.

Good luck. Stay focused on writing what pleases you and you will be likely to succeed.

posted over 9 years ago

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ewormuth‭

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Treat advice as a smorgasbord. Pick what works and leave the rest.

Make sure you test the advice you get. That way you will know if it works or not. It may sound great in your head, but it's what happens on the paper that counts...

I look at my writing as a dual task: 1) Write books and 2) create my personal process/method for how to write books.

posted over 7 years ago

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Erk‭

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Question: How do they know what to listen to and what to ignore?

You should try to find great writers; although, they would technically have to be exceptional teachers too. There are people that can teach you the methods to become a great writer. I would have them teach you.

In general, if you want to become a more intelligent writer:

1. It takes significant time and commitment. Make sure to read a lot everyday.
2. Focus on the writing process. Have others give you constructive criticism.
3. Respond to criticism in an open way and focus on improving your writing abilities. Revise, rewrite, and edit your work constantly.
4. Keep your eyes open for excellent writers. They are the ones to learn from.

posted over 9 years ago

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Jason Mercurio‭

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Part of the value is just talking to other writers, and hearing what they do. I don't plot, I rewrite a lot, until I feel it is right. Knowing that you are not alone or that other writers also don't accept common wisdom, and still get by, is valuable.

Hearing what value other writers put on various ideas also helps.

Sometimes it is craft tips, sometimes it is help with a plot hole. On this site, and unlike any book on writing from some famous author, people can get help on their specific problem as they wish to explain it. You can't call Stephen King up and ask him to help with your book. Here, you can ask for help with your book, and judge whether the answers are help on their merits. Yes or no, either way it was free.

From my point of view as an answerer (I enjoy even this kind of writing), if it helps somebody take a step forward as an author or on a potential career, it was worth my time.

posted over 7 years ago

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Amadeus‭

3166 reputation 2 1399 614 37