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Thank you, the above i totally get. Sometimes in whatever situation indaviduals can become 'lost' ending up sounding like everyone else that surrounds them, loosing thier identity and creative flair that is unique to them. Fun games such as roleplays, poetry challenges, writing short stories and random free-writes are all ways in which to keep writing & practising. Criticism is always hard, but one needs it to improve.
I hope to continue what i love doing with passion, enthusiasm and indaviduality...besides, if we all were similar minded then it would be deadly dull! :) x
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Ingrid wrote: "yes. roleplay has done a lot for me in the past. i am wondering if we should include it in this group? suggestions?"Oh no, puts arms up and makes the sign of the cross!
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I don't mind what i write (whether that be a short story or a poem) as long as i write something each day...pen & paper are my best friends :)
I couldn't have read this in a better moment! It helped me a lot.Thank You Ingrid!
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This topic has been moved to the Stuck On Your Writing? folder as of 5/4/2013.
This topic has been archived as of 5/5/2013.
Answered by Glen C. Strathy:
Answer: My philosophy is that the best thing you can do with theory, rules, etc. is to use them to open up possibilities that you can be excited about.
If you use them simply to beat up on yourself or to tell yourself how lousy your writing is, you've missed the point.
Unfortunately, a lot of writing groups, courses, etc focus on telling you what's wrong with your writing (ie how you broke the rules). That can be helpful, if you are a strong enough person to listen to all that criticism, decide what's the most useful among the comments, and revise your work to make it better.
For other people, the process can kill their passion, enthusiasm, and confidence. Too much of their focus goes into avoiding negative criticism. They end up internalizing the critical voices and becoming paralyzed.
For such people, it's often better to simply read and write a lot on their own. You can absorb the principles of good writing by reading great writers and thinking about how they write, and you can make those principles your own by writing a lot.
Visual art students often do something similar. They will examine great paintings to see how the masters practiced composition, brushwork, etc. and then try to copy the masters' styles.
But just as a painter must find his/her own style to become great, a writer must nurture his/her own voice, not kill it.
For this reason, the other trouble with critique groups is that they can gradually push everyone in the group into writing in the same style.
To clarify, I'm not against writing groups/courses. But I think it's better to see comments or principles of writing as possibilities. If you come across a writing tip, ask yourself if the tip would add something interesting to a story you're working on or see if it gives you any ideas for new stories. Could you make an existing story of yours better by using the tip?
Always try to generate excitement rather than kill it.
If the tip doesn't seem immediately helpful, just file it away. Some day, it might be more helpful - perhaps when you're working on a different story.
Meanwhile, don't stop writing. Writing always improves with practice. Follow your passion and make it fun.
One other thing to try: see if you can treat criticism or the principles of writing as a fun challenge. Make it a game to see if you can incorporate them into your writing in a way that makes you more inspired and enthused.