Lisa Stanbridge
Don't give up. Writing is hard, trust me. You're going to have ideas and you won't know where to take them. Or you'll have the other extreme where you'll have so many ideas you won't know where to start.
If either of these things happen, don't freak out, don't feel overwhelmed and don't give up.
If you have an idea but don't know where to take it, that's fine. Jot the idea down for safe keeping and keep adding to it as you get new ideas. In time you'll have enough to start.
If you have too many ideas, do a similar process to above. Jot all the ideas down then choose the one that really appeals to you and work on that first. Whatever you do, don't do what I fail at. Don't have more than one story on the go at once. I quite often have 3 or more on the go and it can get quite daunting.
Also, one thing that is vital is constructive criticism. Let people criticise your work because they know what works and what doesn't work. And whatever you do, do not take it personally. They're trying to help, they're trying to help you become a better writer. Trust me, it'll hurt when you receive criticism but view it in a positive light. By taking on board the suggestions, you're only going to get better/. And just imagine the thrill of someone saying 'this is a brilliant story!'
Some people don't understand the importance of criticism but please, don't get all huffy and say 'I hate being criticised' because you'll never get anywhere.
While criticism is important, please don't let people be rude. There is a vast difference between being rude and offering constructive criticism. If someone says 'this is crap, you're a hopeless writer' you don't have to accept that. But if someone says 'you have talent but this needs to change or that needs to change', take it on board. Learn to see the difference.
If either of these things happen, don't freak out, don't feel overwhelmed and don't give up.
If you have an idea but don't know where to take it, that's fine. Jot the idea down for safe keeping and keep adding to it as you get new ideas. In time you'll have enough to start.
If you have too many ideas, do a similar process to above. Jot all the ideas down then choose the one that really appeals to you and work on that first. Whatever you do, don't do what I fail at. Don't have more than one story on the go at once. I quite often have 3 or more on the go and it can get quite daunting.
Also, one thing that is vital is constructive criticism. Let people criticise your work because they know what works and what doesn't work. And whatever you do, do not take it personally. They're trying to help, they're trying to help you become a better writer. Trust me, it'll hurt when you receive criticism but view it in a positive light. By taking on board the suggestions, you're only going to get better/. And just imagine the thrill of someone saying 'this is a brilliant story!'
Some people don't understand the importance of criticism but please, don't get all huffy and say 'I hate being criticised' because you'll never get anywhere.
While criticism is important, please don't let people be rude. There is a vast difference between being rude and offering constructive criticism. If someone says 'this is crap, you're a hopeless writer' you don't have to accept that. But if someone says 'you have talent but this needs to change or that needs to change', take it on board. Learn to see the difference.
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