I recently read a blog by Dawn Field titled "How to Fail as a Writer" and she listed 23 ways to do just that. While I'm sure there are more ways to fail, I wanted to talk about the first eight in Part I of my blog review of her list and why you should do the opposite to WIN as a writer.
Here goes:
1. Don’t worry too much about your opening line. Readers will soon be past it and into the good stuff.
My opposite: Please, please, please do worry about the opening line. Why? Because the first line of the first chapter determines whether readers will want to read the next paragraph or the next chapter of your novel. Once you get readers hooked they will want to read more of your work!
2. Don’t be concerned that your ending goes off with a fizzle. The rest of the book was worth the price of admission.
My opposite: Endings are a pain. I struggle with this too because if you have a story that sizzles and pops you don't want to be stuck wondering how to wrap things up. So I would suggest spending some time to write an ending that leaves readers gratified.
3. Don’t worry about typos and grammatical errors. Trivial details won’t bother veteran readers.
My opposite: Nothing turns readers off more than reading a novel with typos and grammatical errors. It's a sign that you don't care about yourself as a writer to polish your work and that readers don't matter. And please hire an editor and even when you do, please do your due diligence and read through your work again as there may be a few missed typos and grammatical errors.
4. Go with your first complete draft as your final draft. Your gut instincts were correct the first time around, you’ll just dilute them when you edit.
My opposite: A resounding NO. The first drafts are usually rushed to get the story completed. Once that's done then the real work begins to polish, polish, polish, or rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. I know rewriting may sometimes change the plotline but it's worth rewriting it to get the best product you can produce.
5. Only write when the urge hits you. If you need discipline to write, it’s not really writing.
My opposite: You should have a writing regime or else you fall into a place of no return. Trust me, I have been there and it's not a nice place to lift yourself out of. But, I'm trying to maintain a more balanced writing schedule.
6. Do not exercise, enjoy hobbies, or have any kind of life . Any minute spent not writing is time down the drain.
My opposite: Please exercise, enjoy hobbies, engage with friends and simply take care of yourself. I know if I didn't, I would be no good as a writer as these activities help feed my creative soul.
7. Sleep as little as possible. Sleep deprivation will unlock your inner writing god.
My opposite: Nothing rejuvenates me more than a good night's sleep. Listen to your body and get the necessary sleep as it's the best thing to replenish your mental acuity and to release your inner writing god.
8. Quit your day job immediately. Work gets in the way of your writing.
My opposite: Now this is laughable. Unless, you have a coffer of cash lying around, I would strongly suggest that you keep your day job. I know that work can sometimes get in the way but you have to carve out some time for your creative adventures. I do!
Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for Part 2 next week!
Here goes:
1. Don’t worry too much about your opening line. Readers will soon be past it and into the good stuff.
My opposite: Please, please, please do worry about the opening line. Why? Because the first line of the first chapter determines whether readers will want to read the next paragraph or the next chapter of your novel. Once you get readers hooked they will want to read more of your work!
2. Don’t be concerned that your ending goes off with a fizzle. The rest of the book was worth the price of admission.
My opposite: Endings are a pain. I struggle with this too because if you have a story that sizzles and pops you don't want to be stuck wondering how to wrap things up. So I would suggest spending some time to write an ending that leaves readers gratified.
3. Don’t worry about typos and grammatical errors. Trivial details won’t bother veteran readers.
My opposite: Nothing turns readers off more than reading a novel with typos and grammatical errors. It's a sign that you don't care about yourself as a writer to polish your work and that readers don't matter. And please hire an editor and even when you do, please do your due diligence and read through your work again as there may be a few missed typos and grammatical errors.
4. Go with your first complete draft as your final draft. Your gut instincts were correct the first time around, you’ll just dilute them when you edit.
My opposite: A resounding NO. The first drafts are usually rushed to get the story completed. Once that's done then the real work begins to polish, polish, polish, or rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. I know rewriting may sometimes change the plotline but it's worth rewriting it to get the best product you can produce.
5. Only write when the urge hits you. If you need discipline to write, it’s not really writing.
My opposite: You should have a writing regime or else you fall into a place of no return. Trust me, I have been there and it's not a nice place to lift yourself out of. But, I'm trying to maintain a more balanced writing schedule.
6. Do not exercise, enjoy hobbies, or have any kind of life . Any minute spent not writing is time down the drain.
My opposite: Please exercise, enjoy hobbies, engage with friends and simply take care of yourself. I know if I didn't, I would be no good as a writer as these activities help feed my creative soul.
7. Sleep as little as possible. Sleep deprivation will unlock your inner writing god.
My opposite: Nothing rejuvenates me more than a good night's sleep. Listen to your body and get the necessary sleep as it's the best thing to replenish your mental acuity and to release your inner writing god.
8. Quit your day job immediately. Work gets in the way of your writing.
My opposite: Now this is laughable. Unless, you have a coffer of cash lying around, I would strongly suggest that you keep your day job. I know that work can sometimes get in the way but you have to carve out some time for your creative adventures. I do!
Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for Part 2 next week!
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