If I Could Start Over

I know it seems strange for a professional writer to decry any aspect of the road they’ve trod on the way to publication, but we all make mis-steps. Perhaps mine will help you avoid making some of your own. Here are some things I might do differently if I had a chance to start over.

I would start earlier. Yes, I was pretty young when I started writing — my first publication came when I was sixteen — but I think I still could have focused more on my writing rather than some frivilous pursuits. Of course, I’d still leave room for spending time with my friends and watchiing Starsky and Hutch. I’m not a zealot.

I would focus on acquiring good writing habits right from the start. My days were already busy, school, exams, and so on. Plus, being the oldest of six children took up a lot of my time. Still. I could have carved 15 minutes out of each day.

I would have focused more on the community in which I lived, rather than trying to compose second-rate science fiction and fantasy. It took me a long time to learn that good fiction is grounded in reality. I’d have done better to watch and listen and learn.

I’d have made a greater effort to know people better, especially the ones I didn’t like. It would have helped me grow, not only as a writer, but as a human being.

I would have asked my parents and grandparents much more about their childhoods. Yes, I did learn some, but, like most kids, I thought those fascinating people would be around forever.

I would have saved all my scribblings. Not because they were of such literary merit, but so I could see my talent developing over the years. I could have learned from my mistakes.

I would have availed myself of the teachers and mentors around me. Picked their brains, asked them for feedback. Instead, I was too shy, too self-conscious, and too afraid of being a bother or, worse, being told I had no talent.

I would be kinder to myself, and accept that some things take time and that includes growing into one’s talent.

I would pay more attention in grammar classes, rather than daydreaming.

Finally, one thing I would only slightly change is my reading habits. I was a voracious reader, but I tended towards classical literature. Dickens and Austen then, later, the Russians. All wonderful books, of course, but a fledgling writer needs to be familiar with contemporary fiction, too. Part of the problem was I didn’t know what to read. At least with the classics, I knew I was getting works of quality. Again, I could have asked my English teacher for recommendations.

If you’re just starting out on your writing journey, I hope you found something useful in the above. Even if you’re well on your way, you may discover something helpful.

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