We subscribe to magazines, buy books, read blogs, and attend workshops. We’re always on the hunt for that one sparkling bit of truth that will transform our writing into something special.
Of course, we learn pretty quickly there’s no such thing as a magic bean in the writing life. But that certainly doesn’t negate either our search for wisdom or our discoveries of the gems.
This week, I decided to conduct a (highly unscientific) survey amongst my followers on Twitter and Facebook to discover some of the best writing advice. A big thank you to everyone who participated! Following are some of the highlights, divided by category.
Your Best Writing Advice About Description
“Learn how to use ALL of your senses in descriptions, not just sight and hearing.”—Liberty Speidel
Your Best Writing Advice About Revision
“When revising, look at the whole manuscript and fix the biggest problems first instead of starting at page 1.”—@thedaisyharris
“Read what you write out loud.”—Linda Yezak
Your Best Writing Advice About “the Rules”
“Learn the rules so that you know HOW and WHEN to break them.”—Rachel Smith Fernandes
Your Best Writing Advice About Studying
“Read as much as you write.”—Shane Deal
“Read and read some more.”—Christian Jaeschke
Your Best Writing Advice About Voice
“My J-school professor told me to always write the way I speak. ‘It’s the way you’d tell a story anyway, right?’”—@GeorgiaGrlWritr
Your Best Writing Advice About “Just Writing”
“Get in the chair (or wherever) and write. Simple but effective.”—@ericjkrause
“Write first; edit later!”—Ruth Rockafield
“Don’t stop, no matter what. Even the best writers wrote ugly when they first started.”—Virginia Burns
“Just get it down on paper first while the thoughts are still flowing. The thoughts don’t have to make sense at first….just be creative.”—MarChessa Taylor
“Ditch your inner editor until the second draft.”—Karen McGrath
“Whatever you have to do, whatever it takes, just finish!”—@valerie63
In a Nutshell…
“Just be brilliant.”—Johne Cook
And One More, for All You Andy Griffith Show Fans:
“I before E except after C, and E before N in ‘chicken.’”—James Lucas Brown
Agree or disagree with any of the advice above? Sound off! And stay tuned for next week’s sequel: “Worst Writing Advice”!
Wordplayers, tell me your opinion! What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received? Tell me in the comments!
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