Welcome to 40 Days of 3 Questions!
For the next few weeks, meet here every morning with a notebook or document to answer three questions about writing, about your status quo as a writer, or about the writing life. You can answer briefly and go about your day, or you can use this as a warm up exercise before your regular writing schedule. Whatever works for you, works for me.
Day 25 Questions:
- If you could go back in time and give advice to your newbie writer self, what would that advice be?
- How did you learn it?
- If you could give advice to a new author today, what would it be?
You may post answers in comments or keep your thoughts private–your choice!
And here is today’s pretty picture:
Ramona DeFelice Long 
Perfect advice for that newbie! I always say, You can’t fix what you haven’t written. The flip side is, Slow down. Enjoy the ride. Celebrate the milestones: first draft done, book sent out, signing that contract, first putting your hands on YOUR book, and release day. You’ll only be a debut author once.
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Excellent advice, Edith!
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Advice to my newbie writer self? A bad agent is worse than no agent. I think you can figure out how I learned that one. Advice to other newbies? Join a writing group, take classes and keep improving your craft, and NEVER GIVE UP. And what Edith said.
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DAY TWENTY-FIVE 3/10/2018
1. If you could go back in time and give advice to your newbie writer self, what would that advice be?
Be patient. This is going to take a long, long time. You will succeed if you persist.
2. How did you learn it?
By getting an agent after a long, long time. Also, I learned the patience from other writers as I realized what is involved in going the long route with an agent and a big publisher.
3. If you could give advice to a new author today, what would it be?
Decide what you want. IF you want a big publisher and the sales figures and fan mail that go with that, see above. If you want to self-publish, don’t expect a lot of sales. If you go with a small press and do diligent research to get a good one, it will probably be a great experience, but still less in sales that a big house.
***Reading the above answers, I would add the advice to join writing groups and other writers. I can highly recommend the Guppies.
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If you could go back in time and give advice to your newbie writer self, what would that advice be? Sometimes you aren’t as done as you think you are.
How did you learn it? I’d been querying the book that would become ROOT OF ALL EVIL for over a year, getting nibbles of interest, but no bites. Finally, although I believed the book was “done,” I decided to run it through my critique group. Maybe they could help me tweak it. That turned into a huge rewrite – not of the bones of the story, but the details (the opening, some of the character relationships and motivations, etc.). i firmly believe this is why I was successful querying it last December because less than a month after I sent the query, I was signing a contract with an editor who really loved the story as much as I did.
If you could give advice to a new author today, what would it be? Stay open to possibilities. Even if you don’t join a critique group (which I also highly recommend), find a good writer you trust to give you honest feedback. And be willing to accept that feedback and make changes, even if you think you are “done.”
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1. If you could go back in time and give advice to your newbie self, what would that advice be? In retrospect, I would have searched for a comprehensive fiction writing course. One taught by someone of the caliber of Ramona might have saved me a lot of time. Or so I would like to think
2. How did you learn it? I’m not sure even now courses would have been the answer. Maybe my path of writing and rewriting is the common one.
3. If you could give advice to a new author today, what would it be? If you can’t locate a writing group, form one. Eventually I did that with a couple of other writers in our small town. Online critique groups through Guppies can be helpful too, although person-to-person contact is usually more fun. Also, one-topic online classes, such as Ramona’s recent one, can be very valuable.
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My advice to my younger self, and any new author, would be to write what makes you happy and what interest you and not mind what others think or say about it. I have learned as I grow older that I care much less what others think. My only regret in life, writing and otherwise, is that I cared too much about others’ opinions and not enough about my own instincts.
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f you could go back in time and give advice to your newbie writer self, what would that advice be? Get ready for the long haul. Approach writing as you would a job. Get dressed as though you are going to work…everything.
How did you learn it? The pain of writing my first book.
If you could give advice to a new author today, what would it be? Don’t join a book club unless they are high level, accomplished writers who are giving you the feedback. Do NOT share your works of fiction.
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If you could go back in time and give advice to your newbie writer self, what would that advice be? You are someone who learns best in a traditional learning environment. Get a babysitter and go to night school. Learn this craft. You joined the only writing group in town. Reach out to those who are in it. Talk to and ask questions of people in the group who write the pieces you like. And Read. and. Write. Every. Single. Day.
How did you learn it? I’m not sure I have got it yet! At least, the reaching out part.
If you could give advice to a new author today, what would it be? Whatever your definition of success is, there is more than one pathway to it so you can find your own way. But be like Dorothy on the yellow brick road and find people who want the same things you do so you can help each other along the way. Reach out to people who seem to have what you want and ask them how they do it. And probably the same thing I’d say to my newbie self.
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