The best advice I ever got!

[JRMurdock]

We've all read books on how to write. We've all been in this forum getting advice on what to do. We've all got the same dream (I think). We all love writing.

So, what was the best advice that was ever given to you and where'd it come from?

Myself -- prior to ever putting pen to paper -- was watching (as I often do) two brothers have a conversation. One was a good friend of mine, Jeff, the other was his strugging writer-strugging writer brother Todd. Todd was explaining to Jeff that he needed to write to get better. He needed to 'lock himself up' for at least a year and just write everything and anything he could think of to get better at writing. Jeff, as he often did, sat back and let Todd babble on about how he'd met Anne Rice and gotten advice from her that was going to make him famous (he was 18 and full of life mind you, he hadn't gotten his first rejection yet).

When Todd was done. Jeff said something profound and changed the way I looked at writing. He said 'Todd, to write about life, you must experience life. If you lock yourself up for a year and write, you'll only be able to write about you. You need to get out there and meet people. Talk to them. Watch people. See what real people do in real situations. Then, you'll be able to write about it.' Have you ever seen anyone actually deflate? Todd did. And he smiled as he did. Jeff was right.

To this day, despite all the books I've read, all the movies I've seen, and all the advice I've read, this small bit hangs with me the most. What's yours?

 

[funky_fantasist]

Hey Maus - great thread!

Two bits of advice which I hold dear.

Firstly, from David Gemmell. "Remember, the reader is 'blind' " i.e never make assumptions that the reader is seeing in their minds eye what you are seeing in yours.

And secondly (slightly similar also) from my DH:
This occured when I had written a section I was so pleased with and excited about that I shoved it under his nose as soon as he stepped through the door & demanded that he read it! (bless him, he has a lot to put up with!) He took the pages away and read them and came back with very negative comments. I squealed indignantly - "but you're missing my point!" to which he replied: "No, I am the reader - YOU are the writer. If I am missing the point, you have not made your point adequately."

Ouch! Stirling advice hurts sometimes! I had to forgive him though once I grudgingly admitted to myself he was right, dammit!


I agree with you about going out in the world, observing and enjoying it - people are amazing things and they never fail to surprise and/or inspire.

Cheers
Funky

 

[kahnovitch]

to write about life, you must experience life. If you lock yourself up for a year and write, you'll only be able to write about you. You need to get out there and meet people. Talk to them. Watch people. See what real people do in real situations. Then, you'll be able to write about it.'

Very good advice there. When I was writing prolifically (a long time ago) I spend half my life indoors writing the other half out and about doing exactly what your friend Jeff advised.

The only thing I can remember of any use was from an American journalist/ freelance writer I used to drink with.
I told him about my writing aspirations and he asked;
"So what about when you start getting rejections. When would you call it a day and give up?"

"Never." I said, " Just keep on going."

He smiled and just said "Good! because quitters don't win, and winner's don't quit."

It's a cliched old phrase, but it sums up the writers plight quite well.

 

[juzzza]

Write what you know...

... Or rather about things, people, situations that you know about.

Compliments the sentiment above really, get out there and observe and write about it.

I think Stephen King mentioned that to me over lunch one day.*





*I was eating lunch whilst reading his book 'On writing'.

 

[Susan Boulton]

If you can't dare - you won't. That's the first thing to realize. Janny Wurts

You are a story teller, so tell the *** **** story! HE

 

[KatG]

The best advice I've gotten is from a book I haven't actually had a chance to read yet -- Anne LaMott's "Bird by Bird," and it's the story of where the title of the book came from. Apparently, when they were young, the author's brother had to write a report on several species of birds. The brother left it till the last minute to do the report and was in despair about managing and finishing the report the night before it was due. LaMott's father supposedly said to him, "just take it bird by bird, son, one bird at a time."

This, it seems to me, is valuable advice for writing and for life as well.

 

[juzzza]

"just take it bird by bird, son, one bird at a time."

My moto when it comes to the 'ladies'...

Sorry KAT, couldn't resist.

 

[Jacquin]

I've been trying my best not to post in this thread... Ok I failed.

All I can think when I see the title is "Don't eat yellow snow"

I'm sorry

J

 

[JRMurdock]

Neat, a fan of Frank Zappa!

 

[revenant]

my eng102 prof told me the exact same thing.

 

[James Barclay]

'A writer writes.'

It's great advice (as well as a neat aphorism) - write everyday if you can. Doesn't matter what, doesn't need to be your current project. Anything that gets you thinking and gets words from your head on to paper is going to improve you in some small way.

NOM

 

[choppy]

1. Read a lot.
2. Write a lot.

I've heard this from several different sources. I know I write a lot. I've been trying to improve on the first point.

I really liked your little bit of advice Mauss.

 

[Sammie]

'A writer writes.'

It's great advice (as well as a neat aphorism) - write everyday if you can. Doesn't matter what, doesn't need to be your current project. Anything that gets you thinking and gets words from your head on to paper is going to improve you in some small way.

NOM

Do essays on neonatal respiratory failure count? I've written a few of those lately...

 

[Gary Wassner]

"You could have been more than a name on the door on the 33rd floor in the air. More than a credit card, swimming pool in the back yard. More than a consumer lying in some room trying to die......"

 

[ShellyS]

Best advice I got was advice that negated the worst, unvoiced tho implied advice I ever got. I took a writing class many years ago that worked like a writing workshop. Between the instructor for the class and the how-to-write books I was reading at the time, I came to believe there was a right way and a wrong way to write and I couldn't seem to do it the "right" way, so I stopped thinking about being a pro novelist and stayed with fan fic which was nice and safe. Then I got on AOL 8 years ago and found the writers boards and in the SFF area, came across people who encouraged me and others to discover our process.

So the best advice I got was to not try to change how I write, but to just do it and see where it leads. That gave me the desire to try again.

 

[Dawnstorm]

So the best advice I got was to not try to change how I write, but to just do it and see where it leads. That gave me the desire to try again.

That's the spirit!

 

[Rira]

i live by the advice mauss gave. you have to expiriance life to write about it. so im out to step in evey puddle i can get to. but i do have a problem with making myself write everyday. ...i try, but when i start to read.....
anyone else have that problem?

 

[ShellyS]

That's the spirit!

Okay, I'm trying the quote feature.

Thanks. It seems to be working for me, but I'll know for sure if I ever finish and sell my ms.

 

[JRMurdock]

i live by the advice mauss gave. you have to expiriance life to write about it. so im out to step in evey puddle i can get to. but i do have a problem with making myself write everyday. ...i try, but when i start to read.....
anyone else have that problem?

I used to have this problem. I saw this in another post and I'll repeat it. "Not everything you write will be golden". I've had a few short stories published and a number rejected. I've gotten past the rejections and I've posted some of my 'not so good' material. The biggest confidence booster for me is in finishing a piece. Write a short story and see it through to the end. It'll do wonders to boost your confidence. Toy with a simple scene. Play aroud with dialogue and description, etc. Try something you'd never expect to try. This has gotten me into new ground and sometimes scares me with the result (far better than I'd expect). One BIG thing I do NOT do, don't read until you're done. You'll pick apart your story and never finish it. Run it through until the end, then edit. During this process, you'll be able to determine if a story is worth salvaging. Some aren't.

I didn't mean to go on that long. I think I've got a circuit loose that I need to adjust. hmmmm.

 

[funky_fantasist]

I was thinking about this thread last night

I just wanted to add this in case it is useful to anyone - but it's not advice I was ever given but rather something I DO before I edit. I hope this is taken in the spirit it is intended & not egotistical... what I mean is... can I GIVE some advice? (I mean feel free to ignore it if you like! LOL!)

Anyhoo - it's nothing complicated: READ YOUR WORK ALOUD.

It doesn't matter who to - the dog or the cat will do! But read it seriously and properly as you would any author's work. Repitition will JUMP out at you. Badly constructed sentences - awkward or innapropriate dialogue - rythmn and flow of narrative...

It's the best thing I do to improve my work. I hope this is helpful!

Funky