(NOTE: This is not meant to actually discourage anyone from writing, this is simply a list of bad traits I have observed within the writing community. If you have any of these traits, but still want to write anyway, all hope is not lost. You can still fix them, with some effort)
Anywho, today, I'll be going a list of reasons why, *gasp* you should quit writing. I know, I know, you love writing, and some of you, like me, want to make a career out of it someday. So, you might be thinking, who does this stranger on the internet think they are, to dictate who can and can't write? Well, the thing is, I'm not trying to dictate that. What I'm doing is highlighting the things that make bad writers bad. A bad writer, isn't necessarily someone who doesn't produce star quality works, mind you, a bad writer can be lazy, or incapable of taking criticism, or worse yet. Your attitude towards writing can be one of the most important things.
Now, if you're a beginner, you probably do at least a few of these, and don't worry, I did too, but fear not. You can change them, if you truly, truly want to continue writing. So, without further ado, let's get into it. You should quit writing if:
1.) You Don't Read
Sounds obvious, doesn't it? Why should you be writing stories, if you're not reading any? Why are you not appreciating the art you are trying to create? But, unfortunately, there are amateurs out there who seriously think they can get by in the writing world without reading. Don't be one of them.
I'll put it for you this way. For my day-job, I am a baker and cake decorator. Do you think I would be able to make my cakes if I had never seen one, or eaten one in my life? Do you think I would have learned my trade if I had no appreciation or care for the things I make, let alone know what I want them to taste like? The very same thing needs to apply to you, with writing.
2.) You Can't Take Criticism
Solicited or not, you should always at the very least be polite to people who criticise your work. Thank them, even. Despite what you might think, they're not out to get you, or ruin your chances, they're there to help you by pointing out what you did wrong with your story, so you can make your next one better. If, in the real writing world, you chased down everyone who had something negative to say about your work, and left them long, angry flames, you'd end up as the laughing stock of the century. Nobody would like you, read your works, or take you seriously.
3.) You Don't Do Revisions
You've just finished the first draft of your story, and you think it's awesome. Now it's time to publish, and rake in the cash, and/or comments, right? WRONG. VERY, VERY, VERY WRONG. You never, ever, ever, try to publish the shit you just finished. Why? Because it's not good enough. You never, ever publish anything, until it's the very best that you can make it.
When you finish something, let it sit. Do nothing to it. Forget about it for like, a week, or a month, or however long you think you need. Then go back to it, and read it with refreshed pair of eyes. You'll catch all sorts; awkward sentences, plot holes, purple prose...So now what do you do? Make revisions, of course. Fix those sentences. Remove that plot hole. Deflower that purple prose. Make your work the very best it can be.
4.) You Don't Do Your Research
You're writing a story about a girl with terminal cancer. She has no symptoms, aside from fainting, before she is diagnosed. She has no other symptoms as she's dying, and in the end, she dies looking tragically beautiful in her love interest's arms. Smells. Like. Bullshit.
You cannot write something you know nothing about. Go back to school, and do your goddamn homework. If you're writing about cancer, research the symptoms of cancer, and what the treatment is, and what it does to you. Writing about a Muslim family? Research the faith, and how people practice it individually. Research how they make it a part of their everyday lives. When you do your research, and apply it to your writing, it will show, and you will create more believable, more realistic, and more relatable characters and stories.
So with that in mind, go write! Or don't. Whatever you prefer.
Anywho, today, I'll be going a list of reasons why, *gasp* you should quit writing. I know, I know, you love writing, and some of you, like me, want to make a career out of it someday. So, you might be thinking, who does this stranger on the internet think they are, to dictate who can and can't write? Well, the thing is, I'm not trying to dictate that. What I'm doing is highlighting the things that make bad writers bad. A bad writer, isn't necessarily someone who doesn't produce star quality works, mind you, a bad writer can be lazy, or incapable of taking criticism, or worse yet. Your attitude towards writing can be one of the most important things.
Now, if you're a beginner, you probably do at least a few of these, and don't worry, I did too, but fear not. You can change them, if you truly, truly want to continue writing. So, without further ado, let's get into it. You should quit writing if:
1.) You Don't Read
Sounds obvious, doesn't it? Why should you be writing stories, if you're not reading any? Why are you not appreciating the art you are trying to create? But, unfortunately, there are amateurs out there who seriously think they can get by in the writing world without reading. Don't be one of them.
I'll put it for you this way. For my day-job, I am a baker and cake decorator. Do you think I would be able to make my cakes if I had never seen one, or eaten one in my life? Do you think I would have learned my trade if I had no appreciation or care for the things I make, let alone know what I want them to taste like? The very same thing needs to apply to you, with writing.
2.) You Can't Take Criticism
Solicited or not, you should always at the very least be polite to people who criticise your work. Thank them, even. Despite what you might think, they're not out to get you, or ruin your chances, they're there to help you by pointing out what you did wrong with your story, so you can make your next one better. If, in the real writing world, you chased down everyone who had something negative to say about your work, and left them long, angry flames, you'd end up as the laughing stock of the century. Nobody would like you, read your works, or take you seriously.
3.) You Don't Do Revisions
You've just finished the first draft of your story, and you think it's awesome. Now it's time to publish, and rake in the cash, and/or comments, right? WRONG. VERY, VERY, VERY WRONG. You never, ever, ever, try to publish the shit you just finished. Why? Because it's not good enough. You never, ever publish anything, until it's the very best that you can make it.
When you finish something, let it sit. Do nothing to it. Forget about it for like, a week, or a month, or however long you think you need. Then go back to it, and read it with refreshed pair of eyes. You'll catch all sorts; awkward sentences, plot holes, purple prose...So now what do you do? Make revisions, of course. Fix those sentences. Remove that plot hole. Deflower that purple prose. Make your work the very best it can be.
4.) You Don't Do Your Research
You're writing a story about a girl with terminal cancer. She has no symptoms, aside from fainting, before she is diagnosed. She has no other symptoms as she's dying, and in the end, she dies looking tragically beautiful in her love interest's arms. Smells. Like. Bullshit.
You cannot write something you know nothing about. Go back to school, and do your goddamn homework. If you're writing about cancer, research the symptoms of cancer, and what the treatment is, and what it does to you. Writing about a Muslim family? Research the faith, and how people practice it individually. Research how they make it a part of their everyday lives. When you do your research, and apply it to your writing, it will show, and you will create more believable, more realistic, and more relatable characters and stories.
So with that in mind, go write! Or don't. Whatever you prefer.
