Writing Advice, and the Taking Thereof

There have been several interesting posts on the topic of writing advice in the past few weeks on my blog roll.1 I like Justine’s (first link), and it’s a good thing to keep in mind.

She says:

I occasionally get letters from beginning writers and newly published authors who are confused by some of my writing advice and observations about the publishing industry. Confused, because they have read exactly the opposite information elsewhere.

I get that too. I’m not particularly bothered by it, probably because my main bit of writing advice to all beginning writers is “FINISH THE BOOK!” and I say that knowing that, yes, indeed, I sold my first book on proposal, and a large percentage of the time, anyone to whom I suggest finishing the book will remind me of this.2 So I’m used to it.3

Conflicting advice is normal. Advice that conflicts with the advice-giver’s own M.O. is no less normal, otherwise we wouldn’t have that lovely adage, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Several years back, I got a bunch of “Nuh-UH! So-and-so says never use such-and-such!” comments after posting about my love for a certain writing convention a prominent writer and writing instructor abhorred. I actually knew of her distaste for it, having recently sat through a workshop in which she decried it early and often. I survived. She survived. We both went on to write more books, some of which were actually read by the same people. The world paused not in its orbit, and the general happiness of the universe increased.

So I don’t consider that when I disagree or conflict with someone else’s advice, I may be inadvertently starting some kind of writing-advice-giving grudge match.4 Because I can sound a bit — ahem — passionate about my particular passions.5 So while I’ll happily comment on other advice (and have, see the WGAGB series at left), give my own, and generally talk about the wonders of writing advice (because it’s my job, yo), I have no real interest in a smackdown competition of advice. Of course I think you should take my advice — because why else would I bother to give it? — but I don’t think I should win and the other advice should lose. And I wouldn’t want you to take it in lieu of something that feels right to you. Because, as Justine also says:

All writing advice should be taken with a grain of salt. Maybe it’ll work for you, maybe not. There are no hard and fast rules, only guidelines. Do what works, chuck what doesn’t, but stay open to it maybe working for you at a different time or for a different novel.

Good point. And I think that last bit is particularly useful. Never say never. You may start doing collages, like me. I was a bit surprised to learn the other day that someone thought my process was clockwork. Dude, I’ve only written seven books. And every book is different.

I have a friend who refers to certain books she’s written as “gift novels.” Everything was in the right place at the right time, she never had to go in and do major surgery, etc., the characters behaved as they ought, it was a joy to sit down at the computer and write everyday, blah blah blah… It was a gift. Bully for her, huh? Now, there are other novels that, clearly, were not gifts, where maybe she had to go back and retrench, or rewrite, or rip out entire subplots or start the second half of the book from scratch — and to do so, she had to revisit her stores of writing advice. Don’t think she had to do that with the gifts.

Thus, not every bit of advice applies to every novel. Processes aren’t going to be the same for every novel. And it’s not going to be a steady situation, either. The process that works for novels 1, 2, and 3, may not work for 4 or 5, but kicks in at 6 then fails again at 7.

And another point to keep in mind is the source of the advice. On one hand, the experience a source has had is valuable in determining the worth of the advice. As a baby writer myself, I am always looking to those who have been in the industry longer, and have the scars to prove it. On the other hand, you’re going to see lots of sources with conflicting advice AND a ton of experience. Alternately, you can get great advice from people with no experience at all. I got some amazing advice from someone who hasn’t written more than three pages in a row since college. I used to get so frustrated on writing sites and loops where the advice of the published author was treated as The Word On High, and The End of the Discussion. Which always vexed me greatly, since I like discussion. And I don’t mind disagreeing and still going on with my life.

For instance, one of my critique partners, Carrie, can’t start a book until she has her first sentence. (At least, this was so with her last book.) I think she’s nuts. And still, we manage to work together just fine.

Find me a published author who says one thing, I’ll find you one with just as much experience, plaudits, acclaim, etc. who says exactly the opposite. They both survive. They both write books that often, the same people read. The world pauses not in its orbit and general happiness in the universe increases.

You can even get great advice from people whose books you think suck. But that’s a secret between you and me.

But the one rule is: don’t follow advice that’s not working for you. Even if it’s advice from the bestselling author of seventy-five of your most favoritist books in the entire history of the written word, even if it worked for the last forty-two books you wrote, even if everyone else seems to agree…. if it’s not working, ditch it. For serious.

I’m off to a writer’s conference this weekend with my fabulous friends, advice-givers, critique partners, and mentors from the Tampa Area Romance Authors. (I only listen to them sometimes.) Blog posts may be thin on the ground ’til I return.
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1. New term Alison Kent taught me. Yes, I’m always the last to know these things.
2. The people most fond of such reminders have usually not finished any book. Writing your first book is a big deal.
3. I don’t care. Finish the book. It will make you so much happier. It will make the publishers who want to buy it and rush it right into production so much happier. The happiness level of the universe will increase. Yays all ’round. (Oops, sorry. I’ll add: your mileage may vary.)
4. Which honestly, would be a pretty pathetic spectator sport. Here’s how you win in a fight with a writer: Pull her finger back. She’ll cry uncle or risk being in finger casts until after her deadline.
5. It’s popular in internet circles to couch everything in “YMMV” and “IMHO” and “I think” and other qualifiers. But it should be pretty obvious that the things I post on my blog are the things that I think. Do I really need to spell it out?
6. Yes, I’m jealous. She also lives on the beach in Florida, and it’s 23 degrees and raining here.