Thursday, February 14, 2013

Writing Advice

Yesterday I received this assignment for a writing workshop I will attend in March: 
“Please be prepared to introduce yourself by sharing the best piece of writing advice you have ever received. This advice should be presented "Pinterest" style--as a tag line....or epithet!” 

I was thinking of using, “Do whatever it takes to get the first draft down, then fix it.” Although, if I found a better, pithier, or more profound nugget of wisdom, I’d jump on it.  

My husband suggested, “Express yourself.” 

Jeremy said at his summer program at Berklee, they told him, “Write every day.” 

Help me out here. What is the best writing advice you have ever received?

7 comments:

Kim Van Sickler said...

Ass in chair, words on paper is a good one. It reminds us that all the thinking, all the planning, all the dreaming to write in the world will come to naught if we don't force ourselves to write it down.

Anonymous said...

Bone-headed stubbornness pays.

Anonymous said...

Bone-headed stubbornness pays.

Vicky Lorencen said...

It may not be "the" best, but I like the idea that "writing is re-writing." It takes a lot of the pressure off. No, wait. That should be--It takes off a lot of the pressure. Oh, my gosh. I'm buckling here.

Kathy Cannon Wiechman said...

The best advice I know is to love what you're doing. Without love & passion for writing, it will be tough to stick with it for very long.

Buffy Silverman said...

My advisor in grad school (environmental ed, back in the day when such a field existed) said something like the following:
There's no good writing--only good rewriting.
But I like your "get the first draft down then fix it" better--because there's no good rewriting if there's nothing on the paper!
What/where is your March workshop?

Ann Finkelstein said...

Kim: A weightlifting friend phrases that one "Glute to the chair."
Kristin: That's true and more concise than listing the tenets of Taekwondo. "Courtesy, Integrity, Self-control, Perseverance and Indomitable Spirit."
Vicky and Buffy: Great minds think alike.
Kathy: Wise, as always.