How To Survive Bad Writing Advice
Write Better Now
This week I talked to a writing client who had worked with another editor before me (who had edited for traditional publishing previously) and it didn’t end well. She took about 18 months to give him notes back on his novel, which isn’t a good sign. But then she also insisted things like “this character wouldn’t fight with her army, that doesn’t happen in real life.”
The book was a fantasy. It’s actually a bit of a trope in fantasy novels for the heroes to fight with their creatures/humans and the bad guys to not.
But also, it definitely does happen in real life. Alexander the Great is famous for leading his calvary into battle over and over again.
She gave him bad advice. She told him it made no sense and to change it.
This happens all the time. I’m sure I do it, too.
Once, I got an Instagram message from a man selling his copyediting services and there were five incredibly obvious typos in his pitch. I'm talking about two words combined, misspelled words. Double punctuation at the end of a sentence.
It was sad. I wouldn’t trust his advice about typos because his own copy was so garbled and full of errors.
So, there's another guy on the internet who makes a ton of money helping other people be writers and I'm sure he's lovely, but I find him incredibly frustrating.
Why?
He has a page all about writing advice and in that advice he has bullet points to make things simple because apparently people who want to be writers need things simple? Who knows.
But in those ten bullet points he has contradictory advice. In one bullet point he says, Don't be lazy. Don't sound stupid.
In another he says, Don't worry about being good. Just write.
Hm.
In yet another he says, Don't be a perfectionist.
Yeah.
Look. I'm sure he's helped a ton of people and his bullet points must have deeper meaning and insight, but here's the thing: Writing isn't about bullet points. Writing is about soul and depth. Writing is about communication and building worlds through words that create image and resonance.
How To Survive Stupid Writing Advice In Bullet Points Because I’m Ironic
1. Sort the good from the bad
Remember a lot of people are just trying to make money off you. Sad, but true. And some of these people are amazing and professionals and some aren't. You have to sort the good from the bad.
2. One Size Does Not Fit All
Does your brain work exactly like your BFF's? Your mom's? You're dog's? No. It doesn't. All advice doesn't work for everyone. It's okay to be the writer who works in spurts, who doesn't outline or who does, who writes every day. There's no one right way to write any more than there is one right way to human.
3. Believe in Yourself
When you get really crap advice at your writing critique group, or workshop or from your mentor or even your agent? And it just feels wrong?
That probably means it is wrong for you.
Don't let group think or even an expert sway you from the truth of your story.
4. Try not to compare
Here's the thing: If one writer publishes 100,00 copies? That doesn't make them a better writer than the one who publishes 10.
There's a lot of stuff called marketing that goes on behind the scenes that makes one author have high sales.
If one author always gets invited to conferences and you don't? It doesn't mean you suck. It might be that other author is good at schmoozing.
Be proud of who you are and be who you are. Don't try to emulate the people who you think are successful. Emulate yourself.
5. Blow it off And dig deep
Seriously. Blow off the comparisons, the advice that doesn't work. This is way easier said than done for most of us, right?
But instead, study the craft, the books YOU love, notice sentence structure, discover why you like the stories you like and then think about why YOU want to write your story, dig deep into why it matters to you.
BIGGEST TIP:
If you're going to pay people to help you, please do it with someone reputable. Please do it with someone who can spell 90% of the time. And please do it with someone who gives you consistent advice that resonates and does it in less than 18 months.