Advice for a new [fill in the blank]
May. 4th, 2010 02:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mollyringleIn a list of interview questions for someone's blog recently, I was asked, "What advice would you give a new writer?"
My answer, should you be wondering:
Aside from changing the font every so often while the work is in progress (it gives you a fresher eye on the whole story), I'd also implore you to take revisions very seriously. Your first draft is light-years away from being ready for publication. You have to put it away and not look at it for at least a month. Then you have to look at it again and fix the problems you see. Then you have to seek honest feedback from other writers (really good writers, ideally) and LISTEN to that feedback. Don't dismiss the remarks you don't want to hear. Stop and consider all suggestions. Even if the criticism stings at first, it will probably give you awesome ideas for new scenes and character details, and your manuscript will be ten times better for it.
---
So now I'm wondering: what advice would you give to a newbie in whatever your field of work is? Further advice for new writers is always welcome, too. Despite having worked at this for nearly two decades, I still consider myself somewhat new.
My answer, should you be wondering:
Aside from changing the font every so often while the work is in progress (it gives you a fresher eye on the whole story), I'd also implore you to take revisions very seriously. Your first draft is light-years away from being ready for publication. You have to put it away and not look at it for at least a month. Then you have to look at it again and fix the problems you see. Then you have to seek honest feedback from other writers (really good writers, ideally) and LISTEN to that feedback. Don't dismiss the remarks you don't want to hear. Stop and consider all suggestions. Even if the criticism stings at first, it will probably give you awesome ideas for new scenes and character details, and your manuscript will be ten times better for it.
---
So now I'm wondering: what advice would you give to a newbie in whatever your field of work is? Further advice for new writers is always welcome, too. Despite having worked at this for nearly two decades, I still consider myself somewhat new.
