Writing Advice

There’s a lot of writing advice out there, on the net and in print. Who are we to trust our time and money on. The successful published author might be the best bet. They obviously can write well enough to be published (excluding vanity publishing) and hopefully they can tell a story or at least communicate with the learner writer BUT can they teach effectively. Can they cut away the mystique and unnecessary jargon or even remember to explain it.
For a long time I had a notion of what was meant by a beat in writing but only recently came across a clear definition or description. And there are other examples you’ll stumble over. Maybe I’ve just looked in the wrong places.
Sometimes the advice comes in the form of simple aphorisms like ‘Writing is just putting one word after another word on paper or a screen.’ Glib, insightful, probably, but of itself is it useful in making one a read writer because ultimately that’s what we writers want to be read by others and possibly valued by others an have them enjoy or relate to the reality we have created.
And that’s what we do. We create realities that we put forward to our readers, realities that cradle the stories we tell, and if the realities are rich enough and well thought-out and the story is gripping then, with a following wind and a bit of luck, we may have a success.
So, does the advice help you to achieve those ends? It’s not just about fictitious worlds but includes us having a deep understanding of this reality which, to a large extent, we share.
Does the advice help you create pictures in words? Can you create a story that moves along at a pace? Is your world peopled with believable beings? Do they do things that matter?
I don’t think we are looking for formulas, which if they existed would make it all boring. What we should be looking to do is to acquire and develop a toolkit that suits our individual needs and what suits me or another writer might not suit you.
Happy and productive writing.