“I am not one of
those who in expressing opinions confine themselves to facts.” – Mark
Twain
When I have
posts about writing, they are simply my reflections on the craft based on my
experience as an author. Although they work for me, they may not -- and probably
won't -- work for you.
For those who are writers, or aspire to be writers,
there have been countless opinions expressed about this creative endeavor in
books, magazines, newspapers, radio, television, conferences, websites,
webinars, conversations, blogs or whatever means you seek advice.
And, no doubt, there will be countless more suggestions
and recommendations offered on the writing process in the years to come. As the
crude saying goes, opinions are like… everyone has one.
I have a bookshelf and more of books about writing. I
subscribe to several writing magazines and blogs. I occasionally attend
lectures, seminars and conferences about various things pertaining to
writing.
So what’s my point in this post? First, I don’t take
anything as gospel. Second, I try to take nuggets of information from various
sources. And third, sometimes I find grains of salt. It's kind of a collective
process for me in picking up bits and pieces from many sources.
That’s what I hope you take from my posts.
We all have our
own methods of writing. We all have different time constraints. We all have
different things going on in our lives. We all have different interests. In
other words, we’re all different in many ways that affect our writing in many
ways.
I believe my only sound pieces of advice are to read and
write.
But do it your way.
One more thought about advice, this from Virginia Woolf:
"Literature is strewn with the wreckage of men who have minded beyond reason the
opinions of others."
Until the next time...
