Some of it ranged from discouraging comments to bits that perhaps are specific only to some of us. Following are the pick of the litter!
Your Worst Writing Advice Regarding Age Limits
“No one has anything to write or should attempt to write before they are 40.”—Holly Heisey
Your Worst Writing Advice Regarding Audience
“Don’t worry about your audience, just write for you. It sounded good at first, but it really isn’t good advice at all!”—Melissa Powell Ortega
“Don’t write something unless you think it’s marketable.”—Alisa Hope Wagner
Your Worst Writing Advice Regarding Bad Writing
“There are always editors.”—William Price
Your Worst Writing Advice Regarding Discouragement
“Stop writing.”— @jesterhay
“Don’t waste paper.”—Nora Spinaio.
“Not quite writing advice, but when I told my college advisor (when I was an English major) that I didn’t want to teach or go to law school or grad school, he suggested I change majors. Um…”—Becky Levine
Your Worst Writing Advice Regarding Inspiration
“If you wait long enough inspiration will come. Wrong! Best advice: Start writing. If you are lucky inspiration will sneak in.”—@JudyBorger
Your Worst Writing Advice Regarding Non-Advice
“How about no advice at all. Until I got Internet, getting an opinion or a drop of advice out of someone was like pulling teeth with a pair of pliers.”—Anna L. Walls
Your Worst Writing Advice Regarding the Rules
“Boldly break all the rules.”—Tanya Dennis
“Follow all the writing rules.”—T. Anne Adams
“‘You have to follow all the writing rules.’ A good writer told me that, but that squelches a lot of creativity. Rules are good, but not absolute when writing.”—Sarah Holman
Your Worst Writing Advice Regarding Writing What You Know
“Write what you know. If I wrote about what I know, my books would be pretty boring!”—@righter1
“Write what you know. I don’t think this is good advice because we learn as we write/research/etc.”—Nora Spinaio
Wordplayers, tell me your opinion! What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever received? Have you ever heard any of the above and lived to regret it? Disagree with anything? Tell me in the comments!
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