Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Writing Advice: Quantity (and a game of tag)

During the last month and a half I joined other writers and bloggers in online challenges.  I learned lots of new things and wanted to share one with you.

The advice is simple: If you want to be a better writer, write lots more!  It's always wonderful to revise and edit a manuscript into perfection, but if you want to improve your basic writing skills and enjoy a higher volume of fabulous ideas, you simply need to write more.

NaPiBoWriWee (say that five times fast!) really helped me learn this.  I wrote seven picture book manuscripts in seven days.  I am really in love with three of them.  I am preparing three of them to submit to publishers.  If I had not been producing so much writing, I am sure I would not have created these three stories.  Yes, there are still four manuscripts that I am not in love with.  That's okay.  Sometimes you have to produce the less exciting material to find the gems you're hoping for.

I've changed some of my writing goals to include more new drafts in addition to revisions and submissions.

Enough advice.  Now for the game! 

Rachel Morgan "tagged" me and I'm excited to play along.  I will answer the following questions and "tag" three other bloggers I've recently met.  If you're reading, I'd love to hear the answers to any of the questions in the comments!

If you could go back in time and relive a moment, what would it be?
The moment I stood on the ground after being life-flighted off a cliff in the Rocky Mountains.  It would be such a fresh reminder of how beautiful life is.

If you could go back in time and change one thing, what would it be?
I would have taken writing classes in college!  I LOVED my major (Biology and Teaching), but didn't indulge my inner author as much as I could have.

What movie/TV character do you most resemble in personality?
Don't laugh too much.  My cousin actually pointed this out and I think she was really right.  I am an awful lot like Rapunzel in Tangled. 

If you could push one person off a cliff and get away with it, who would it be?
This is a really hard one.  I kind of cringe if I joke about sending people to their deaths.  Maybe a cartoon character?  I was okay when Gaston knocked himself over a cliff. 

Name one habit that you want to change in yourself?
I'm seriously germaphobic.  My baby is working really hard at changing that one for me!

Describe yourself in one word.
Curious.

Describe the person who named you in this meme in one word.
Creative.

Why do you blog? Answer in one sentence.
I blog here to meet other people with similar writing interests, to explore the world of children's literature, and to discover discover my inner author and publication.  Writing is a journey, and I love sharing it!  (I know, I know...clearly the instructions on this need a little change...)

Name at least three people to send this meme to, and inform them.
Madeleine
Melissa
Sheila


I hope you enjoyed getting to know me a little better!  I would love to know your answers to any of the questions too--I always respond to comments!


10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Loved your answers. Wow to the first one too. Inspirational.

Thanks Carla for tagging me, I have scheduled a few posts this week. I hope it's okay to write my answers on Monday? :O)

Corey Schwartz said...

Wow, I can't believe you wrote 7 in seven days! i tried it a few years ago and I think I ended up with like two and a half! Ha. And to LOVE three? WOW!

MC said...

Congratulations on writing three great manuscripts and finishing the NaPiBoWriWee. I think I would push Superman off a cliff and not mind because he seems to be impervious to bodily injury or death.

Carla said...

Madeleine, Monday will be great! I can't wait to read them!

lol, Corey! Yes, I love three. They're nowhere near done, but I really like the ideas in them!

Haha, MC! Superman is a great idea! He'd probably come up laughing too.

Carla

Anonymous said...

Tag post now scheduled for Monday with my answers. Thanks again :O)

D. U. Okonkwo said...

Here, here! Completely agree with the belief that you have to write more to better your craft. That goes with anything and why the term 'practice makes perfect' came about.

Really liked the answers to your quiz, too!

Kenda Turner said...

Loved reading your answers--like you I wish I had taken more writing classes in college! And you are so right about the value of writing new drafts. We can get so bogged down in revisions--the editor's side of things--that we neglect the creative side.

Speaking of which...7 picture books in 7 days? Fantastic accomplishment!

Anonymous said...

I loved reading your answers. I got to know more about you.

I used to be germaphobic, but I got over it.

Have a great weekend.

Dawn M. Hamsher said...

Write more...that is great advice. Hard to do sometimes, but great advice.

The Write Soil

Carla said...

Madeleine, Of course Monday is/was fine! I responded to this last week, but Blogger seemed to have lost several of my comments. ;)

lol, Corey! I do really like three of them...the other four, however, well... yeah.

Medeia, That germophobia is going to be a hard one for me!

So true, Dawn! It's definitely hard sometimes.

Carla

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