Writing Advice from the Trenches

In our MCW group post this month we will be sharing a piece of writing advice that we have found helpful. Or a piece of advice that we’ve learned from experience. Or a piece of advice from a favorite writing book. We hope you enjoy these and will find one that resonates with you.

Kate Flora: I am sure that you have heard this before, but I will say it anyway: write on a regular schedule. Every day, if possible, or on set days. Creating a regular writing practice helps to strengthen your writing muscles. It also, as time passes and the pages pile up, gives you insight into yourself as a writer. Are you a burst writer? A plodder? Do you need an outline to guide you or are you a writer who loves discovering what comes next? Do you prefer to write for a fixed period of time or does it work better for you to have a word count you must reach before you leave your desk? I am sure you have all heard me say, many times, that if you want to finish that book or that short story, you can’t wait for a moment of inspiration or for the fluttery little muse to land on your shoulder. You need to be at the desk, in the chair, and present when the muse arrives.

My other piece of advice, gleaned from ten years in the unpublished writer’s corner, is that despite the discouragement the publishing world can hand out, only YOU get to decide that you are a writer. It’s a great Dumbo’s feather to cling to in difficult times.

Maggie Robinson: I so agree with Kate that you should try to write every day. And I also think that if you can’t, for whatever reason, do not beat yourself up. Life happens. But it’s good to get into some sort of routine. When I worked full-time, I made myself get up at 4 AM to write. I had a quiet house to myself and no interruptions. It helped to have a supportive spouse and family who could find their own socks and make their own breakfast. I have a friend who waited till her kids were asleep and worked into the wee hours, another who brought her laptop with her everywhere so she could write at her kids’ doctor appointments and sports activities. She made every idle moment count, and those ten-minute chunks here and there added up. Find what works best for you, because there’s no universal magic trick to getting to The End!

Kaitlyn Dunnett/Kathy Lynn Emerson: I have two pieces of advice for writers. The first relates to what writers often call “the book of the heart.” If telling a particular story is important to you, don’t give up. It may not be something that will ever be a commercial success, but these days there are alternate routes to publication. I’m practical enough to encourage writers to aim for contracts with healthy advances and good publisher support, but writing what you want to write matters, too. The second bit of advice is related to the first: it takes as long as it takes. That applies to both writing a book and selling it, and leads right back to the “don’t give up” advice. If writing is your calling, it should be a joy, not a chore. Sure there are frustrations along the way, but there’s nothing better than holding the finished creation in your hands and knowing that, somehow, miraculously, that story got from your mind to the printed page.

John Clark: I’m going to be a heretic and tell you there are times when you should give yourself permission NOT to write. Earlier this month, I realized I had a stronger desire to read some of the pile of books whispering to me, than the call from Bent River. However, I’d also encourage anyone who’s got a blast of words in their head to get them out, especially when you find yourself distracted by them. Definitely not a good idea to be in rush hour traffic while your characters are screaming at you to get that scene on paper.

Matt Cost: Write. Write on.

Sandra Neily: I have this Reasons to Write list on my wall. (I started out in 2016 caring most about 2, 5 and 8. Now, older and wiser about publishing and navigating some medical stuff, I lean toward #1 and # 9.) Knowing this change has been so very helpful; I am more at peace about what I am doing. Maybe the message is that we need to regularly check in with our core motives and desires. They might have evolved.

WRITE INSTEAD OF ACTING DESTRUCTIVELY. WRITE FROM BEING RIGHTEOUSLY INDIGNANT. WRITE FROM BEING WOUNDED. WRITE FOR REVENGE OR TO PROVE SOMEONE WRONG.,.WRITE FROM FRUSTRATION THAT A STORY HAS GONE UNTOLD.WRITE TO DEAL WITH FEARS OR TRAUMAWRITE TO HELP ILLUMINATE OR CORRECT A SOCIAL INJUSTICE.WRITE IN REACTION TO SOMETHING THAT UPSETS YOU.WRITE YOURSELF OUT OF (OR THROUGH) A CRISIS.WRITE FROM IDENTIFYING WITH A UNIVERSAL STRUGGLE

And no matter what one writes (fiction, nonfiction) a grab-em mission statement you can share in a short elevator ride or social moment is a great thing. Ya never know! It can change too. My latest: I want to take readers on a north woods field trip that is so compelling, engaging, and mysterious that they won’t want off the trip until the last page. 

 

 

Brenda Buchanan:  My advice is to find your writing community.  If you’re writing crime fiction, hoo-boy, is there a great crime fiction gang here in Maine and a more welcoming group you’ll never find.  The same is true whether you write sci-fi, or fantasy, or romance, or young adult.

How to find other writers? Take advantage of the programming  at local colleges and universities, join a statewide organization like the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance, attend conferences and workshops if you can afford it. All are great ways to find your peeps.

If cash is tight, use the internet to look for writing groups in your area. Your local librarian almost certainly knows the other writers in your community, and if you sign up for your local independent bookstore’s mailing list you’ll know about all the upcoming readings and book events.

Most every writer needs to commune with other writers. Making connections—however shy you may feel at first—will get you through the hard times, and give you people to celebrate with when you have reason to celebrate.

Want more writing advice? Scroll back through our posts and you will find a wealth of great advice from writers who have been at this for years.