Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Do's and Don'ts by...well, by you

*
Last April we played a fun do and don't game here on this blog. It is in regards to what we have learned in our journey as writers. I really felt inspired by what some of you shared that day.
So, I wanted to play that game again today.

Think of one Do and one Don't and leave it in the comments.

It can be about anything at all ... writing, life, friendship - you choose!

Then, on Friday, I'll compile them all into a summary post.

I'll go first:

DO: let your readers feel smart. Leave some room for them to figure out where your story is going without spelling out every single detail.

DON'T: be too hard on yourself. Someday we will look back and understand the whys of our journey. For now, we must have a little faith.

Who'll play with me?
*

38 comments:

Carolyn V. said...

DO: Pat yourself on the back from time to time.

DON'T: Eat the whole bag of chocolate chips when you have writers block. You'll just have to make it up on the treadmill. Trust me. I know. =)

Jonathon Arntson said...

DO: Allow yourself to get disorganized or have a ten minute meltdown.

Don't: Listen to Carolyn V, eat the damn chocolate chips and savor them. I buy the Reese's ones, they are damn good!

Kelsey (Dominique) Ridge said...

Do: Express your voice in the query.

Don't: Express your voice by showing up at agent's offices uninvited to give them your query.

Windy said...

Do: Be authentic, people want to get to know who you are too, not just what you write.

Don't: Be afraid to reach out to online writerly buddies. They may be closer than you think!

Paul Greci said...

Do: read widely both in and outside your genre

Don't: Worry about trends

Sarah said...

Do: Hunt for that detail that will make the moment you're describing authentic.

Don't: Deny yourself chocolate. Ever.

Sarah said...

Dominique! So funny... that was a great post by Nathan.

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

DO: Give yourself permission to follow your instincts.

DON'T: Give up.

Anonymous said...

Do: Listen to the advice of other writers/readers

Don't: Ignore your own voice and direction for your story.

Basically, be wise and be true. =]

Davin Malasarn said...

DO: Buy that ugly lamp that only you can appreciate.

DON'T: Pretend not to know someone just because no one else likes them.

Susan Fields said...

DO: Let your characters live and breathe and be who they are, even when it gets in the way of your well-planned plot.

DON'T: Let life get in the way of your writing. Make a date with your manuscript and keep it!

Unknown said...

Do: Let yourself take a break from life every now and again.

Don't: Take a permanent break. Persistence really is the key to success.

Okay, this is a very cute idea! Can't wait to see the final posting. :)

Michelle said...

DO: Your homework. Whether it's research for your story or about which agent you should query, it's always worth the extra time.

DON'T: Be afraid to ask questions. It's one of the best ways to find out what you don't know.

Wendy Paine Miller said...

Do: laugh hard and often.
Don't: pick your teeth stuck with pretzels in public.

Guess I didn't feel like writing something on writing b/c edits are mean.
~ Wendy

Scott said...

Do: take time for yourself, every day, and do nothing.

Don't: no matter what your friends say, get up on the bar to dance after a night of heavy duty margarita drinking . . . especially when friends have video on their phones.

Tess said...

Ha! LOVE these

Michelle D. Argyle said...

Do: Write like mad

Don't: Ignore higher priorities

Caroline Starr Rose said...

Do: Know your work will improve as long as you put the effort in

Don't: expect things to happen overnight...or even overdecade

Jill Kemerer said...

Do: Take advantage of a snow day to write in pj's!

Don't: Ignore the natives too long or the house will never recover.

Congratulations on selling your book!!!

Have a good one!

Corey Schwartz said...

Oh, these are AWESOME. What a great idea, Tess!

DO: Get feedback on your work from critique partners

DON'T write by committee. You can't please everyone. You need to trust your gut.

Amy Allgeyer Cook said...

Do: Read your books to your kids. They're your audience after all.

Don't: Include a four-headed zombie with laser guns built into his palms because your son says it will make your MG chick-lit 'funnier'.

Janice said...

DO: Get annual skin exams at the dermatologist.

DON'T: Forget about others.

Jackee said...

Do: Enjoy meeting people in the writing community.

Don't: Ignore the physical people around you. Especially your family. :)

Elana Johnson said...

Excellent game!

Do: laugh everyday.

Don't: assume everyone's out to get you.

:)

Robyn Campbell said...

I love this Tess. How fun!

Do: look on the bright side, even when you don't wanna!

Don't: stop eating chocolate of any kind. Especially Jonathon's chocolate chips. =)

Angie said...

Love all the answers so far. Let's see:

Do: Take time every day to just be quiet and listen.
Don't: Pass up an opportunity to make someone smile.

DL Hammons said...

DO: Allow your immagination to sweep you away to amazing worlds filled with interesting characters and heartstopping adventures.

DON'T: Get forget the way back.

lotusgirl said...

Do: Help your friends when you can.
Don't: Give up.

B.J. Anderson said...

Do: bribe children with skittles. They work wonders when potty training.

Don't: bribe agents with skittles tossed in the query packet. It's generally frowned upon.

* said...

Do: Be gentle with yourself on your journey in motherhood, writing, life.

Don't: Overdose on too much chocolate. It brings on headaches and tummyaches.

Kristen Torres-Toro said...

Do give it all you have.

Don't ever give up.

Mary Aalgaard said...

Do take time to rest and be still. Creativity happens in quiet moments.

Don't forget who you are or deny your muse.

Heidi Willis said...

DO make sure you point out all the great things in a piece you're critiquing along with giving advice.

DON'T give the puppy your best diversionary treat to catch up on blogging and then have nothing for when it's time to write. :)

lisa and laura said...

Do: Draw inspiration from real life. Listen and observe.
Don't: Be afraid to fail. Sometimes an entire manuscript needs to be shelved. Try again.

Amy Saia said...

Darn, I was going to try the Skittle thing in my next query.

Do: use Beta readers

Don't: be afraid to delete and rewrite

Connie Keller said...

Do: Take time to notice and laugh at the ironies of life.

Don't: Try to edit right after you finish writing (or at least keep a hard copy) because you may edit the heart and soul out of your work.

Shelli (srjohannes) said...

Do have faith

dont give up

kanishk said...

You'll just have to make it up on the treadmill. Trust me.

Work from home India