Produce many words of fiction. Many. Many, many, many, many. Find out what makes words come out of you and arrange for that to happen a lot.
If you have a tendency to become defensive when criticized, dig it out of yourself with a melonballer and set it on fire. You can grow it back later when you are better, if you want (especially if it has self-esteem implications of some kind), but it is not your friend in the early stages.
Finish things sometimes. Finish a drabble or a 500-word vignette, if that’s what you’re up to. But do not start and start and start and never finish.
Fall in love with something about something you write. Love a character, or a setting, or a sentence, or a plot twist. You don’t have to love everything about anything or anything about everything, but love something about something.
If you have a tendency to become defensive when criticized, dig it out of yourself with a melonballer and set it on fire.
Nice phrase. Nice sentiment, too. This is the main sticking point for recruits to most of the non-commercial projects I’ve been involved with, and if not overcome it’s incredibly destructive both on the creative and the critical side of things.
Well-intentioned attempts to attract talent by shielding it from criticism are even worse.
Yep yep! The first thing I’m trying to get into the habit of doing is simply writing, without worrying about the quality. My inner critic is SO picky! (>_<) The general idea I have is that to be a writer, I have to actually write. If I can’t for whatever reason, then writing isn’t going to work. So, writing first.
I’m fine with criticism. I believe that either 1) it’s true, and I need to accept it, or 2) it’s false and I can laugh at it. Getting mad seems silly in any case.
Produce many words of fiction. Many. Many, many, many, many. Find out what makes words come out of you and arrange for that to happen a lot.
If you have a tendency to become defensive when criticized, dig it out of yourself with a melonballer and set it on fire. You can grow it back later when you are better, if you want (especially if it has self-esteem implications of some kind), but it is not your friend in the early stages.
Finish things sometimes. Finish a drabble or a 500-word vignette, if that’s what you’re up to. But do not start and start and start and never finish.
Fall in love with something about something you write. Love a character, or a setting, or a sentence, or a plot twist. You don’t have to love everything about anything or anything about everything, but love something about something.
Nice phrase. Nice sentiment, too. This is the main sticking point for recruits to most of the non-commercial projects I’ve been involved with, and if not overcome it’s incredibly destructive both on the creative and the critical side of things.
Well-intentioned attempts to attract talent by shielding it from criticism are even worse.
.
Bookmarked, thank you!
Edit—please disregard this post
Agree, agree, a thousand times agree.
Yep yep! The first thing I’m trying to get into the habit of doing is simply writing, without worrying about the quality. My inner critic is SO picky! (>_<) The general idea I have is that to be a writer, I have to actually write. If I can’t for whatever reason, then writing isn’t going to work. So, writing first.
I’m fine with criticism. I believe that either 1) it’s true, and I need to accept it, or 2) it’s false and I can laugh at it. Getting mad seems silly in any case.
Thanks for the tips!
Edit—please disregard this post