It struck me the other day that I read at least one book about writing every week. Right now, on my Kindle, I’m reading two books about writing, one written by an editor. The other is written by a publisher who is heavily into independent publishing.
I’m getting oodles out of both.
I consider reading about writing, the business and the craft of it, as homework. I’ve never outgrown the need to learn.
Over the course of the years, I’ve learned so much about writing. Some of it might not show and be more of the behind the scenes stuff, like plotting. Some of it definitely shows, such as my penchant for full sentences. Phrases drive me nuts. So do one word paragraphs.
Yes.
Do both.
Sparingly.
Another thing I’ve stopped doing is a heckuvalot of exposition. In my early books, I went on and on and on. Now, I try to have as much movement and dialogue in a book because exposition just bores me when I’m reading it.
I think I’ll always have something to learn, some way to change and grow. If you don’t grow, you curl up and die. Or worse, as a writer, you get stagnant.
Do you study in your field? Or do you try to learn something new each week?
Early Childhood is forever shifting. We attend lectures & conferences all the time. New regulations seem to come out each week & there is a learning curve with some of those.
Working with young children I continually learn a great deal about the world we live in. Every day is fresh & new.
I would imagine that it’s always a challenge, too, Mary.
As a short answer (probably!) – yes, I do learn something new pretty much every day. Some of it comes from having an enquiring mind, being a writer, and needing to know something about a topic that’s relevant to my writing or might be so in the future. Some of it comes from practical concerns, such as setting myself up sometime soon as a self-publisher. Some of it comes from leisure reading, which is usually quite obscure stuff from writers who consciously break the ‘rules of writing’ or play games with them, or develop their own rules. And some of it comes from the training courses I write, which involves me researching and keeping up to date with my specialties. So it runs the gamut from completely unstructured following-my-nose type learning to quite formal and structured material. But at least one thing, every day? Yes.
Incidentally what are the books on writing and publishing you’ve been reading, and would you recommend them?
I’ve done a blog post for this week, Jon, listing my fave four – I’ve read 63 books on writing, the publishing industry, and self-publishing since January, 2011. Most of them, unfortunately, are dreck. My opinion only, of course.
I admire you for continuing to learn more and more about writing. I am not a writer but I am fascinated by people who have the talent for doing so. Books are my passion and from them I have learned so much. In addition to fiction, I like non-fiction and love biographies. If I come across some new fact that intrigues me, I am thankful to have the internet where I can learn more. I’m sure some people spend lots of time surfing the net, playing games and generally goofing off. I find that boring. Gotta keep the old brain moving!
I think being bored is almost a sin, don’t you? Yes, I am occasionally bored, but I think it’s more being brain dead or just exhausted and tired of living in my own head.
I try to learn something new each day. I love to read and write and make things. So I’m always learning new ways to create. I did get a kindle fire this christmas and I don’t hate reading that way but I do prefer a book in my hands. What book or books to you recommend for writers? Any favorites? I read Stephen King’s book called On Writing, I think that is what it was called. I enjoyed his book.
I enjoyed King’s book, too, but I would have titled it: On MY Writing. Each journey/method is different, I think. (More info on my favorite books this week, Felicia.)
I’m constantly on the move to learn new things. I think it’s gotten worse now that I’ve been unemployed. I have time on my hands and need to keep my mind in motion. Whether that’s in reading, or dancing through the house to music blaring as I clean (thank you Zumba, lol), or surfing the web on medieval things, or simply reading your posts everyday and pondering things. Karen, you make me think a lot and I like that.
What a great compliment – thank you, Leah. I have such odd thoughts, sometimes. It’s wonderful when I can toss that thought to someone else.
HHHHMMM, in my field of motherhood I am always searching for a way to get my kids to eat the food I cook, so I cheat and add sugar and butter to green beans and they eat it up. We call broccili trees -as in Christmas trees- and they eat it up. I put all kinds of vegies in my chicken and dumplings and chicken and rice and they eat it up. The other thing I have learned from my da is I have to try a bit of everything as long as I’m not allergic. I’m passing that on to my kids as well. When we eat at home or at someone elses house we take a wee bit of everything, and yes I still do that. At my husbands aunt’s she made Chicken Liver….I hate chicken liver or any liver but if I make my kids try it so do I so they see I’m doing it too. The other day at my SIL’s she made dinner and she asked my kids what they wanted and one of mine tried to get out of the vegies, a vegie I know she likes. I put a few on her plate( enough for 1 bite) and explained my rules and my sil started to say that we were at her house so her rules trumped mine. I very kindly told her no they don’t because otherwise when they are at my house her daughter that only eats Mac and Cheese for dinner almost everynight will no longer be accomemdated then at mine and will be given a plate with a little bit of everything like my own kids. That’s why my kids get a little bit of everything, I don’t want picky eaters. So as a mother I try to constantly stay ahead of the game and keep my skills at tip top shape.
Z
When the boys were little, there used to be something called french fried carrots, peas, and other veggies. They formed the veggie into a french fry shape, then fried them. Of course, the boys loved them. Otherwise, the veggie thing ended up in a big fight.
One night – and I apologize for being gross – I made David sit at the table and eat his peas. Finally, he ate his peas, then promptly threw up. Last time I did that.
I firmly believe in the need to keep our minds active in order to stay young. I don’t actually ‘study’, but I do learn something I don’t know most every day (may not be something significant in the overwhelming scheme of things!) . Warm Fuzzies! and Tartan Ink contribute to my on-going education.
What a lovely compliment – thank you, Karen!