A couple of days ago I posted a piece on this blog about advice writers should not give or pay attention to. It was a clever, well-argued piece. However, people being who they are, some people really do want advice and need encouragement. Some of those people shouldn’t be encouraged and certainly won’t take good advice. So what can we say?
I’m putting this out to blog readers:
What’s the best writing advice you ever got that you acted upon?
I’m on the edge of my seat, anxious to read your comments.
Related articles
- Advice For Newbies (writingsluts.wordpress.com)
- Be willing to take advice (gelliphanindraviswanadhaprasad.org)
- An advice about giving out advice… (thefeelbetterproject.wordpress.com)
Filed under: writing tips, Advice, Arts, best writing, encouragement, good advice
C h a z z W r i t e s . c o m 
Advice from bestselling YA author Alyson Noel about querying: “Don’t count the ‘nos’ because it only takes one ‘yes.'” She also told me to never give up and never stop writing, no matter what anyone says. And I’m listening to her 100%!
I have learned that reading “how-to” books and articles never quite works out. I did read Stephen King’s book “On Writing” and enjoyed it immensely. I then turned this around and read my first Stephen King book “11/22/63”. The only reason I selected this book was it was the first offering on my Audible book club list for King. I read it right after “On Writing” and I was amazed at the insights I got out of the two books. I saw what he said in “On Writing” put into practice in “11/22/63”. Plus, since parts of “On Writing” was autobiographical, I saw how he used personal experience in creating his stories.
I have been given advice by a number of people on how to write – or better said, on how to write better – but none of it hit home like this did. Seeing the advice used in a successful writer’s own books plus, how he forms and uses descriptions was a revelation.
I have always gotten more out of example than just reading a dry text book.
Too many writers in the manuscript spoil the story. 🙂 Okay… maybe not that exactly. But really. Be selective about the advice you choose to use. Writers love giving input, which is fine, but making every single change suggested can transform your story from fine dining to a cheap all-you-can-eat buffet in an unsavory hole in the wall.