My old gran used to say, 'Smart folks try to learn from their mistakes, the wise ones try to learn from other people's.' With that in mind, I thought it might be interesting to hear about some of the big writerly-type mistakes people feel they've made, and what they learned from them.
As you might imagine, I've made a fair few myself, but if I had to pick, I'd say these are the two biggest so far:
NOT REALIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING HOW TO WRITE PROPERLY
From the Spring of 2003 to the Winter of 2007, I wrote four complete novels, at least I thought they were complete. In reality, they were little more than poorly-written first drafts.
What I should have also been doing during that time was working to improve my craft, but in my blissful ignorance, I didn't realize there was so much about writing that I didn't even know I didn't know. If I'd taken the time to find out, those drafts would have turned out much better.
YOU HAVE TO KEEP WRITING NEW FICTION
In December of 2009, when Echelon Press offered me a contract for Fur-Face, I made the mistake of confusing editing work and book promotion with actual writing. Although I did a fair bit of work outlining several new book ideas (an important part of my writing process), I wrote very few new words of fiction in 2010.
In January of this year, I had to force myself to make it a priority. After almost six months, I feel like I'm at last back on track. I have a good routine now which seems to work for me.
How about you?
What are the biggest writerly mistakes you've made?
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jongibbs- Jon Gibbs
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Things What I Wrote and Other Stuff
No longer in print but there are still some copies floating around out there
No longer in print but there are still some copies floating around out there
THE MEAGER PUDDLE OF LIMELIGHT AWARDS
No longer in print but there are still some copies floating around out there
THE MEAGER PUDDLE OF LIMELIGHT AWARDS
Comments
Oh well...
There's also the sidetrack. Have you ever seen the movie, "The Stuff"? I recommend it. I think it's funnier, because I've been in so many writer's groups and whatnot. It's a movie that could have gone so, so right and ended up so, so wrong.... But because I've been in so many writer's groups, that makes this movie hilarious, IMO!
The sidetrack is also a great plot-fail bit. ;) I haven't seen "The Stuff", but I may need to now. (And I'll admit that I have a horrible tendency to use sidetrack plots, although I do tend to clean them up in editing.)