Assuming the new writer truly had a talent/gift for writing, I'd advise them to swim in the deep end of the word pool...all things words; your basic palabras! Do crossword puzzles, anagrams, and other word puzzles, simply because words are your tools (and if you ask me, your friends!).
And, all that is on top of the recreational reading you do to envelope other tones, styles, and voices. For me, I've written all my life in every non-writing job I've had, working it in, somehow, to enrich my company, team, etc. If a newbie feels the need to read "technical" tomes on how to write, fine, but that wouldn't be at the top of my to-do list.
My early stylistic influences have come from disparate places: In the '70s, it was the rock press. I scoured all the rock mags, and the musical experts/critics who were writing about the musicians I was listening to....some of them currently live among us on the 'Stack....looking at YOU, Wayne Robins! Not only did I learn the art of musical critique, but a more informal writing style. You don't get more informal than Lester Bangs!
Another influence was Fran Lebowitz, who once (this'll date us both!) said that "your right to wear a lime green leisure suit ends where it meets my eye." Another clever and unusual style of expression...not to mention hilarious!
The point? Newbies, IMHO, should read a variety of sources for inspiration, not just "how-to-write" tomes or sites.
I was fortunate to have a mom who had writing in her veins, having worked for Reader's Digest out of college, and a dad who was incredibly literate, funny, and as a lifelong radio station employee, had a style of communication that was clear and effective. Would that our young writers are that blessed!
Now, if you'll excuse me, Ramona, I really DO have to get back to writing!😉
Yoo hoo! Hey, Brad, take a break for a couple of minutes, okay?
So, yes, lots of words are the way to go. I think you have to love words with a passion and treat them like pets--laugh at them, and find joy in them, and try and figure out what you have to do to keep them from turning on you just when you might need them most.
I've loved Fran Lebowitz forever! She's still hilarious. I should add her to my short list of mentors: Molly Ivins and Dorothy Parker and Nora Ephron and Jessica Mitford and a couple of others I can't reel off right now--and you're in a hurry, anyway.
Except for a distant relative in Finland who may or may not have been a published poet, there are no writers in my family, on either side. No artists of any kind--no painters, no musicians, no potters, not even a landscaper. My Finnish grandmother wove rag rugs on a huge loom, mostly out of blue jeans, but they were utilitarian, with no pattern involved. She sold them for peanuts back then; now they go for big bucks.
And yes, read your little hearts out, newbies. If you don't like reading you can't write. Period.
The most important thing is to write a lot more than you publish. All writing must not be for others, or it will remain shallow and performative. Every writer must have a private narrative that allows their most honest expression to develop.
In an age where our entire lives are on display to others, and often to strangers, it is in fact comforting to think that you could write something, and hit publish, and maybe no one would read it. That is freedom in its own way.
That's excellent advice. Write for yourself before you even think about writing for others. That alone could save newbies hours of self-imposed misery.
I've never considered it comforting to publish something nobody wants to read, but I'll think on that for a while. It does save you when you've made horrible mistakes. It's so much worse if somebody else sees them, too.
I’m not new to writing but am new in the sense of publishing work online. I have been fortunate to not envy others like I used to and appreciate their artistry and learn from it instead. I am taking a lot in: how to insert character traits, describing action, tightening dialogue, thinking about the practicality of plot elements… it is all learning and while I like most things I write to someday be in someone’s hands, I understand that writers must “sketch” too. We have to work out elements or try different techniques.
I would say I need to lean more on outlines to help with longer compositions. I tend to want to drive in the dark with headlights to see where things go. But you can write yourself into a corner quickly.
There is that constant argument about outlining or just forging ahead. I think it probably depends on a writer's temperament more than anything else. If you're organized and punctual and uncomfortable when you're not, you're probably going to want to outline first.
If you're adventurous and like to take chances, outlining might seem like unnecessary torture. There is no one way, and the sooner new writers realize that and just go with their gut, the shorter that period of sheer terror whenever they're confronted with a blank page.
Maybe one of the first things a newbie should do is analyze how they approach things in general. Writing can be a hobby, a project, a job, or a calling. Too many people go into it thinking, 'everybody's doing it, I can do that, too'. And it's true--anyone can write. Writing WELL is the goal if you're going to do it into perpetuity, and that takes time and effort. No getting around it.
True about time and effort. You can’t really follow anyone’s advice unless you experiment and learn what works for you.
Stories also have different demands. Some are fun and probably fine being just flowing. Others need a bit more planning. Along the way, you learn which one will probably work better. You also learn what mistakes you can make.
Time and effort is true with any endeavor but writing seems to be different. We learn to talk and write at an early age so writing to publish ought to be more natural than, say, learning to draw or paint or play music or do woodworking. Those are skills we know we won't have until we learn them.
It's hard to convince a new writer that writing is an acquired skill when they're already writing and can see a finished product.
My advice would be to keep writing even if you knew what you was writing isn't that good. Your taste threshold might be much higher than your technique in the early days - but you can keep practising and get better. If you think of your day job, you're proficient in that but it might have taken you a year or two (or more) to reach that level of competency. So keep at it with your writing.
Are these good things or bad things? I can't tell... 🤔
Assuming the new writer truly had a talent/gift for writing, I'd advise them to swim in the deep end of the word pool...all things words; your basic palabras! Do crossword puzzles, anagrams, and other word puzzles, simply because words are your tools (and if you ask me, your friends!).
And, all that is on top of the recreational reading you do to envelope other tones, styles, and voices. For me, I've written all my life in every non-writing job I've had, working it in, somehow, to enrich my company, team, etc. If a newbie feels the need to read "technical" tomes on how to write, fine, but that wouldn't be at the top of my to-do list.
My early stylistic influences have come from disparate places: In the '70s, it was the rock press. I scoured all the rock mags, and the musical experts/critics who were writing about the musicians I was listening to....some of them currently live among us on the 'Stack....looking at YOU, Wayne Robins! Not only did I learn the art of musical critique, but a more informal writing style. You don't get more informal than Lester Bangs!
Another influence was Fran Lebowitz, who once (this'll date us both!) said that "your right to wear a lime green leisure suit ends where it meets my eye." Another clever and unusual style of expression...not to mention hilarious!
The point? Newbies, IMHO, should read a variety of sources for inspiration, not just "how-to-write" tomes or sites.
I was fortunate to have a mom who had writing in her veins, having worked for Reader's Digest out of college, and a dad who was incredibly literate, funny, and as a lifelong radio station employee, had a style of communication that was clear and effective. Would that our young writers are that blessed!
Now, if you'll excuse me, Ramona, I really DO have to get back to writing!😉
Yoo hoo! Hey, Brad, take a break for a couple of minutes, okay?
So, yes, lots of words are the way to go. I think you have to love words with a passion and treat them like pets--laugh at them, and find joy in them, and try and figure out what you have to do to keep them from turning on you just when you might need them most.
I've loved Fran Lebowitz forever! She's still hilarious. I should add her to my short list of mentors: Molly Ivins and Dorothy Parker and Nora Ephron and Jessica Mitford and a couple of others I can't reel off right now--and you're in a hurry, anyway.
Except for a distant relative in Finland who may or may not have been a published poet, there are no writers in my family, on either side. No artists of any kind--no painters, no musicians, no potters, not even a landscaper. My Finnish grandmother wove rag rugs on a huge loom, mostly out of blue jeans, but they were utilitarian, with no pattern involved. She sold them for peanuts back then; now they go for big bucks.
And yes, read your little hearts out, newbies. If you don't like reading you can't write. Period.
The most important thing is to write a lot more than you publish. All writing must not be for others, or it will remain shallow and performative. Every writer must have a private narrative that allows their most honest expression to develop.
In an age where our entire lives are on display to others, and often to strangers, it is in fact comforting to think that you could write something, and hit publish, and maybe no one would read it. That is freedom in its own way.
That's excellent advice. Write for yourself before you even think about writing for others. That alone could save newbies hours of self-imposed misery.
I've never considered it comforting to publish something nobody wants to read, but I'll think on that for a while. It does save you when you've made horrible mistakes. It's so much worse if somebody else sees them, too.
I’m not new to writing but am new in the sense of publishing work online. I have been fortunate to not envy others like I used to and appreciate their artistry and learn from it instead. I am taking a lot in: how to insert character traits, describing action, tightening dialogue, thinking about the practicality of plot elements… it is all learning and while I like most things I write to someday be in someone’s hands, I understand that writers must “sketch” too. We have to work out elements or try different techniques.
I would say I need to lean more on outlines to help with longer compositions. I tend to want to drive in the dark with headlights to see where things go. But you can write yourself into a corner quickly.
There is that constant argument about outlining or just forging ahead. I think it probably depends on a writer's temperament more than anything else. If you're organized and punctual and uncomfortable when you're not, you're probably going to want to outline first.
If you're adventurous and like to take chances, outlining might seem like unnecessary torture. There is no one way, and the sooner new writers realize that and just go with their gut, the shorter that period of sheer terror whenever they're confronted with a blank page.
Maybe one of the first things a newbie should do is analyze how they approach things in general. Writing can be a hobby, a project, a job, or a calling. Too many people go into it thinking, 'everybody's doing it, I can do that, too'. And it's true--anyone can write. Writing WELL is the goal if you're going to do it into perpetuity, and that takes time and effort. No getting around it.
True about time and effort. You can’t really follow anyone’s advice unless you experiment and learn what works for you.
Stories also have different demands. Some are fun and probably fine being just flowing. Others need a bit more planning. Along the way, you learn which one will probably work better. You also learn what mistakes you can make.
Time and effort is true with any endeavor but writing seems to be different. We learn to talk and write at an early age so writing to publish ought to be more natural than, say, learning to draw or paint or play music or do woodworking. Those are skills we know we won't have until we learn them.
It's hard to convince a new writer that writing is an acquired skill when they're already writing and can see a finished product.
My advice would be to keep writing even if you knew what you was writing isn't that good. Your taste threshold might be much higher than your technique in the early days - but you can keep practising and get better. If you think of your day job, you're proficient in that but it might have taken you a year or two (or more) to reach that level of competency. So keep at it with your writing.