Worst writing advice I was given, from a tutor at university undergrad was ‘don’t write using jargon, especially medical terminology.’
I, of course, then went on to write a short story about a student midwife and a post partum haemorrhage, which was described as ‘reading like a textbook’. I was obviously delighted with his review and try and get medical terminology into as many stories as possible. Telling me not to do something is like the proverbial red rag…
All the creative writing patter? You just see it coming, and it is such a turn-off. I mean, if every writer killed all their darlings there would just not be any stories. Ever.
Show me a rule and I’ll do my best to break it. I mean, the next day I could come back and find the rule just what I need for that day, that moment, and I’ll use it.
I guess write every day does have real benefits: compare it to the muscle scene, those daily writing reps do - for me - stack their own written equivalent of muscle. And, as per bodybuilding, you work on different groups of your writing each day giving others a chance to repair after you’ve ripped them to make them grow. And…show don’t tell is both the leatherman’s and the bodybuilder’s go-to.
I find some of these 'rules' to be an interesting guide, at times. Not always. Beyond that, I'm not good at following rules in any part of my life. For me, rules are about conformity, and apart from the fact I have always had difficulty conforming to anything, including subcultures that demand more conformity in their pretend nonconformity, I'm not interested in writing conformist literature.
The problem with that is, publishers want something commercially viable, and that usually involves conformity to a market. I've been lucky so far. My reviews say there's nothing out there like my work. That's good and bad for publishing. Ultimately, rules don't allow for individuality. Obviously, they intend for better writing. But some people can pull off something else entirely.
As much as "write every day" might seem like being a treadmill, it's the same advice given to musicians and language-learbers. Play that guitar for a bit each day, learn some of that language today. Even if you're going over phrases or riffs you've already learned, it's still good.
I'm not sure if writing is the same, though, but I wonder if partly it's to jolt into action the people who fanny about saying "I'm a writer" but don't sit down to do it. And once you've got a contract, that discipline of sitting down each day to write is very helpful.
Worst writing advice I was given, from a tutor at university undergrad was ‘don’t write using jargon, especially medical terminology.’
I, of course, then went on to write a short story about a student midwife and a post partum haemorrhage, which was described as ‘reading like a textbook’. I was obviously delighted with his review and try and get medical terminology into as many stories as possible. Telling me not to do something is like the proverbial red rag…
Haha, nice!
That’s the thing - tell a person NOT to do something, and they’ll want to even more!
Excellent post (and not just because I'm cited!)
Loved this.
All the creative writing patter? You just see it coming, and it is such a turn-off. I mean, if every writer killed all their darlings there would just not be any stories. Ever.
Show me a rule and I’ll do my best to break it. I mean, the next day I could come back and find the rule just what I need for that day, that moment, and I’ll use it.
I guess write every day does have real benefits: compare it to the muscle scene, those daily writing reps do - for me - stack their own written equivalent of muscle. And, as per bodybuilding, you work on different groups of your writing each day giving others a chance to repair after you’ve ripped them to make them grow. And…show don’t tell is both the leatherman’s and the bodybuilder’s go-to.
The best rule is to have no rules :)
This gave me a lot to think about. As for “write every day,” I do keep a journal, so I have convinced myself that it counts.
The only advice for a writer is "Write something!"
The only advice for a writer who is already writing something is "Keep at it and see if you can do it better!"
As regards knowledge: It is good to know something or even several somethings.
As regards imagination: It is good to have an imagination or to imagine having one.
As regards advice: There is no such thing as a "One size fits all". The very concept of advice calls for a pinch of salt.
The worst writing advice ever is any advice which claims to be the only way to do it.
A+++++ to Jenny Colgan
I find some of these 'rules' to be an interesting guide, at times. Not always. Beyond that, I'm not good at following rules in any part of my life. For me, rules are about conformity, and apart from the fact I have always had difficulty conforming to anything, including subcultures that demand more conformity in their pretend nonconformity, I'm not interested in writing conformist literature.
The problem with that is, publishers want something commercially viable, and that usually involves conformity to a market. I've been lucky so far. My reviews say there's nothing out there like my work. That's good and bad for publishing. Ultimately, rules don't allow for individuality. Obviously, they intend for better writing. But some people can pull off something else entirely.
"Ask for advice on writing in internet chat rooms."
Hahahaha absolutely!
As much as "write every day" might seem like being a treadmill, it's the same advice given to musicians and language-learbers. Play that guitar for a bit each day, learn some of that language today. Even if you're going over phrases or riffs you've already learned, it's still good.
I'm not sure if writing is the same, though, but I wonder if partly it's to jolt into action the people who fanny about saying "I'm a writer" but don't sit down to do it. And once you've got a contract, that discipline of sitting down each day to write is very helpful.
There’s something so snarky and belittling about “Kill your darlings”. Really hate that one!
This made me chuckle, which is better than groaning.