Comments on: Advice to writers http://www.mgharris.net/2007/11/26/advice-to-writers/ Website of MG Harris, author of 'The Joshua Files' children's adventure book series Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:02:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: rocrastinator http://www.mgharris.net/2007/11/26/advice-to-writers/#comment-220 rocrastinator Mon, 26 Nov 2007 21:26:14 +0000 http://www.mgharris.net/2007/11/26/advice-to-writers/#comment-220 Me, I'm more of the 'read as much as you can till your eyes fall out' persuasion when it comes to the reading you do to 'improve' yourself as a writer. I'm discriminating when it comes to what I'll read for pleasure: until I was 10 I'd never once put down a book without finishing it, no matter how much I loathed it (curse you, Joan Aiken, for ruining my perfect score!), but life's too short and Tony Parsons exists, so now I'll abandon something I really feel is not worth my attention. But I think there is as much value in reading what you don't like as what you do, in terms of using reading as a sort of educative tool (by far my preference compared to McKee et al, not that I can't see value in what they offer: just not my preferred way to learn). When I did a PGCE we had to construct a portfolio of kidlit reviews: bliss! But we had to read outside our personal tastes, across genres and age ranges, to avoid limiting our potential recommendations for the kids to our own likes. For one thing, it made me realise how a kid feels when they're forced to read something they really, seriously find tedious as all hell - but I also figured out stylistic and narrative elements that instantly raised my hackles, and that to me is as valuable as reading a beautiful piece of prose and knowing I aspire to achieve something like, one of these days. In other words, Darren Shan may make me want to throw up, but I'm glad I've read him. Well, nearly. Me, I’m more of the ‘read as much as you can till your eyes fall out’ persuasion when it comes to the reading you do to ‘improve’ yourself as a writer. I’m discriminating when it comes to what I’ll read for pleasure: until I was 10 I’d never once put down a book without finishing it, no matter how much I loathed it (curse you, Joan Aiken, for ruining my perfect score!), but life’s too short and Tony Parsons exists, so now I’ll abandon something I really feel is not worth my attention.

But I think there is as much value in reading what you don’t like as what you do, in terms of using reading as a sort of educative tool (by far my preference compared to McKee et al, not that I can’t see value in what they offer: just not my preferred way to learn). When I did a PGCE we had to construct a portfolio of kidlit reviews: bliss! But we had to read outside our personal tastes, across genres and age ranges, to avoid limiting our potential recommendations for the kids to our own likes. For one thing, it made me realise how a kid feels when they’re forced to read something they really, seriously find tedious as all hell – but I also figured out stylistic and narrative elements that instantly raised my hackles, and that to me is as valuable as reading a beautiful piece of prose and knowing I aspire to achieve something like, one of these days.

In other words, Darren Shan may make me want to throw up, but I’m glad I’ve read him. Well, nearly.

]]> By: esruel http://www.mgharris.net/2007/11/26/advice-to-writers/#comment-219 esruel Mon, 26 Nov 2007 20:13:11 +0000 http://www.mgharris.net/2007/11/26/advice-to-writers/#comment-219 Well, Lukas, you could do far, far worse than visit solvey's maggot farm or rich's wondering mind over at blogger. But you're going to have many more, other, choices in front of you over the years. Given your obvious ability and enthusiasm, I'm sure that with a little help and advice from Maria, too, you will go far in the writing world. The only true advice I can give you is to keep reading and keep writing. It's the least you can do, but it's also the best you can do. :-) Well, Lukas, you could do far, far worse than visit solvey’s maggot farm or rich’s wondering mind over at blogger. But you’re going to have many more, other, choices in front of you over the years. Given your obvious ability and enthusiasm, I’m sure that with a little help and advice from Maria, too, you will go far in the writing world. The only true advice I can give you is to keep reading and keep writing. It’s the least you can do, but it’s also the best you can do. :-)

]]> By: MG http://www.mgharris.net/2007/11/26/advice-to-writers/#comment-218 MG Mon, 26 Nov 2007 18:24:52 +0000 http://www.mgharris.net/2007/11/26/advice-to-writers/#comment-218 One of the fellow parents at my daughter's school is a quite well known novelist. He went to screenwriting school so we discussed McKee - who he hasn't read either and never will, for similar reasons to you, es. You have to work with what works for you. It's helpful but not de rigeur... Oooh, "The Subtle Knife" is my favourite one! I love the idea of cutting your way along the road until you get to the right part of Headington... And I love Will, he's ace! One of the fellow parents at my daughter’s school is a quite well known novelist. He went to screenwriting school so we discussed McKee – who he hasn’t read either and never will, for similar reasons to you, es. You have to work with what works for you. It’s helpful but not de rigeur…

Oooh, “The Subtle Knife” is my favourite one! I love the idea of cutting your way along the road until you get to the right part of Headington… And I love Will, he’s ace!

]]> By: Lukas... http://www.mgharris.net/2007/11/26/advice-to-writers/#comment-217 Lukas... Mon, 26 Nov 2007 17:14:41 +0000 http://www.mgharris.net/2007/11/26/advice-to-writers/#comment-217 Hi MG, "(Do you do that? I used to get into trouble for it. Torchlight under the bedclothes etc…)" I do that too much. At the moment i'm re-reading His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, and last night i was up to 4ish. I started the first on sunday, just about ready for the subtle knife now! Bring on Will! :D Anyway, Interesting post. I haven't really seen many authors blogs or anything like that so i coldn't really comment, but the few i do no, i haven't seen give advice. Lukas... Hi MG,
“(Do you do that? I used to get into trouble for it. Torchlight under the bedclothes etc…)” I do that too much. At the moment i’m re-reading His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, and last night i was up to 4ish. I started the first on sunday, just about ready for the subtle knife now! Bring on Will! :D

Anyway, Interesting post. I haven’t really seen many authors blogs or anything like that so i coldn’t really comment, but the few i do no, i haven’t seen give advice.

Lukas…

]]> By: esruel http://www.mgharris.net/2007/11/26/advice-to-writers/#comment-216 esruel Mon, 26 Nov 2007 14:08:31 +0000 http://www.mgharris.net/2007/11/26/advice-to-writers/#comment-216 This struck a chord, Maria. From an early age until my teens I was picked for reading in class, had my poems read out, asked to read in church. I hated the whole thing and did what any self-respecting spory-type would do - stuck it all in a box and put in a cupboard marked 'forget it!' I actually didn't start to write until late, so I may have missd a lot. I've never read a 'how to write manual' in my life, and don't intend to. This doesn't mean, however, that people shouldn't read them, or shouldn't take advice - a lot of people need it, at a higher or lower level, depending on their abilities or needs. I may suffer because I will never read McKee, but I will be me, with my own take on what I like and wish to write. But Mckee will help a different writer, so I can't interfere with that: it belongs to the other writer. My rubbish bin used to be full of books I'd bought but couldn't finish - I'm a hard person to please, as a few at Litopia could tell you! And I'm my own worst critic. My blog, I'm afraid, is too introspective to be informative. It's meant as a chronicle of my time while writing my latest book, and perhaps my attempts to find an agent. Failure, I suspect, will see my blog come to an end. Any information there will be lost to the world, scrambled by the internet's own black hole! Mind you, if I did get published, they better put my book at the other side of Waterstone's - how can I possibly compete with that cover!! This struck a chord, Maria. From an early age until my teens I was picked for reading in class, had my poems read out, asked to read in church. I hated the whole thing and did what any self-respecting spory-type would do – stuck it all in a box and put in a cupboard marked ‘forget it!’ I actually didn’t start to write until late, so I may have missd a lot. I’ve never read a ‘how to write manual’ in my life, and don’t intend to. This doesn’t mean, however, that people shouldn’t read them, or shouldn’t take advice – a lot of people need it, at a higher or lower level, depending on their abilities or needs.
I may suffer because I will never read McKee, but I will be me, with my own take on what I like and wish to write. But Mckee will help a different writer, so I can’t interfere with that: it belongs to the other writer. My rubbish bin used to be full of books I’d bought but couldn’t finish – I’m a hard person to please, as a few at Litopia could tell you! And I’m my own worst critic.
My blog, I’m afraid, is too introspective to be informative. It’s meant as a chronicle of my time while writing my latest book, and perhaps my attempts to find an agent. Failure, I suspect, will see my blog come to an end. Any information there will be lost to the world, scrambled by the internet’s own black hole!
Mind you, if I did get published, they better put my book at the other side of Waterstone’s – how can I possibly compete with that cover!!

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