So Far This Year...

[queenoftheskies]

What's the most important writing-related thing you've learned?

Or the biggest writing advancement you've made?

Or your biggest writing accomplishment?

Is it something you learned/accomplished as part of your goals for this year?

Something you stumbled upon?

Something that developed in the course of writing?

If you could give fellow writers one piece of advice/encouragement, what would that be?

Comments

[zellandyne.livejournal.com]

That I need to not worry about the day job. If I do, I don't write.

Not worrying about the day job.

In a way. I didn't set out with that as a sepcific goal, but I did want to write more, and this is a part of it.

Definitely stumbled upon it.

It developed in the course of being on vacation and forgetting about the day job, and then being rudely reminded of the day job and watching my writing dry up again.

Focus. Remember your priorities. Do whatever you have to do to keep yourself solvent and afloat, but don't do more than that if it takes away from writing. I'm a damned good teacher, and I could spend even more time on it. But then I'd be miserable and burn out. Don't let that happen, whatever flavor of day job you've got. If you're happy because of the writing, you'll be better in every part of your life. And this pertains not only to writing, but to whatever you dream of doing.

[lookingland.livejournal.com]

What's the most important writing-related thing you've learned?

just write

If you could give fellow writers one piece of advice/encouragement, what would that be?

just write

: D

[tamlyn.livejournal.com]

Or the biggest writing advancement you've made?
organically wrote a novel in a couple of months time :)

Something you stumbled upon?
getting started again after things have gone bad...

Something that developed in the course of writing?
I have found my voice

If you could give fellow writers one piece of advice/encouragement, what would that be?
The only thing that is important is to sit and write.

[magicnoire.livejournal.com]

1. Just sit your ass in that chair and write.

2/3. I attended my first conference and that was lots of fun. I got to meet Ann and Holly in person and I made a new friend. (I think I should make that a rule -- make at least one new friend at every conference I attend.)

4-6. I'll get back to you on that.

7. Don't worry about publishing. Don't worry about marketing. Just sit down and write. Write the best damn story you possibly can. The best damn story you want to write, not what someone else wants you to or what you think you should. Because in the end, the only thing that matters and will sustain you through the hard times is your own love of writing.

[mmarques.livejournal.com]

My biggest writing accomplishment: sending out a short story to pro- and semi-pro markets - repeatedly

[jediknightmuse.livejournal.com]

What works for one writer may not work for another writer. And there is no "right way" to do things when you're writing. People have different methods of dealing with their writing tha tmight not always work. I'm choosing to write and THEN edit my "novel" instead of editing as I write, and I've been told that it's not the "right way" to do it. Like I said, what works for one writer may not work for another writer. Writing is sort of individualized. I learned it over this past year as I continued to work on Chronicles. When I was first writing it, I was told that my method isn't "the right way," but I ignored it. There is no "right way" for writing. There are traditions of sorts where you do things in a certain order, but it doesn't mean it's "the right way."

[dracschick.livejournal.com]

I finished my novel:)

[baka-kit.livejournal.com]

What's the most important writing-related thing you've learned?

That I don't need a "real career". This is my real career.

Yeah, I know that I need to be able to find another way to support myself until I can support myself as a writer. But my money job doesn't have to be something I train for, struggle for, achieve. If I'm a bookseller for the rest of my life, that's okay. Not great financially, maybe, but I'd rather focus on my writing and rent a room for someone, than live in a swanky condo and have no time to write.

Or the biggest writing advancement you've made?

My first drafts are getting better. They're not neat by any standard, they're patchy, but the writing is getting better.

Or your biggest writing accomplishment?

Unlocked, from initial idea to finished first draft, in just over a year.

Also, working on the final polish of The Coming Storm, and realizing that yes, I have gotten better over the past few years.

Is it something you learned/accomplished as part of your goals for this year?

Something you stumbled upon?

Something that developed in the course of writing?

For me, writing is about constantly learning. Constantly pushing myself. Striving to improve both in my skills and (this is the hard part) my consistency. But to do this, I have to make writing my priority. Maybe not always my first priority -- I have people depending on me -- but enough of a priority so that I do get to it every day.

If you could give fellow writers one piece of advice/encouragement, what would that be?

Make writing a priority.

[dsgood.livejournal.com]

Learned?

What you think should work best for you, the way you feel most comfortable writing, and what really works best for you can be three different things.