Hello, writers. Would anyone like to host Write On! next week (February 27) and the Thursday 2 weeks after that (March 12)? Please let me know. Thanks!
Write On hosts:
Feb 27- dconrad
March 12- strawbale
It’s been a while since we’ve talked about this: What’s your least favorite writing advice?
In the past “write what you know” has always come in for some hate. If that rule were followed to the letter, how would we ever get books with dragons in?
Tara the Anti-social Social Worker has amended that to “Write what you know, or are willing to learn.” Which is much better.
I tend to think of it also as “Apply what you know.” You may have never seen a dragon. But you know how people might react if they did see one.
Two of my least favorite pieces of writing advice are “you have to write every day” and “get up at dawn and write immediately.” The former reduces writing to the level of tooth-brushing, enthusiasm-wise. Besides, some days you need to think, revise, read over what you wrote, plan, or take long walks.
As for writing at the break of dawn— I’ve tried it. More than once, because so many people swear by it. I find what I write at dawn is absolutely pedestrian and workaday. My imagination sleeps late. YMMV.
How about you? Which piece of writing advice really sticks in your craw?
Tonight’s challenge:
A callow youth and his or her stout companion find themselves imprisoned in a tower. They have no idea where they are, or who their captors are.
In desperation, they write a note to the mysterious and always-offstage Froop. Somehow, by some means magical, mundane, or transom-related, they’ll find a way to get it to him.
Show them writing the letter, and have them follow your least-favorite piece of writing advice as they do so.
(If you prefer, you can use one of my 3 least-favorite pieces of writing advice instead.)
Write On! will be a regular Thursday feature (8 pm ET, 5 pm PT) until it isn’t.