From Edie: Tammy Karasek can help when you're feeling overwhelmed by conflicting writing advice. Learn how to evaluate suggestions, avoid common traps, and build a writing process that works for you.
A Writer's Choice: How to Know Which Writing Advice to Follow—and Which to Ignore
by Tammy Karasek @TickledPinkTam
If you’ve been writing for a while, it’s safe to say you’ve heard a lot of advice. Some say listen to all advice—while others’ say don’t listen to any advice, do the research and lessons for yourself. Talk about extremes.
Before we dive into this topic, let’s look at what dictionary.com tells us regarding advice:
“An opinion or recommendation offered as a guide to action, conduct, etc.”
This definition blew me away when I looked at each individual word in the actual text: opinion, recommendation or guide to action/conduct.
I was going through the motions of writing without getting to The End of my novel. My social media was growing, but are they the right ones? My website is ready for an update. My newsletter is needing some subscribers.
Why?
This definition above is why. I was listening to everyone’s “opinion” of how, when, what, where and why I should write.
See if you have received any of the advice below:
- Pick a time of day and write on your own work every day and nothing else.
- Sit in the same place each writing session so your mind knows it’s time to write.
- Type 500 words every day before going to bed no matter if it’s crud work or not – get those 500 words. Or at least 50. Or make it 5,000 words a week or no fun times with family and friends for you.
- Light a candle, put on soft music, have a mug of coffee, and don’t forget a bowl of chocolate to nibble on as you work.
- Never write out of your genre. EVER.
- Be on social media, building your platform every day morning and night.
- Go to every conference you can.
- Join at least one critique group, more until you find the right one.
- Always have a critique or craft partner.
- Make sure you have the newest writing software, or several to try them out, no matter the cost.
Oh boy, do I wish I could tell you I made those up for fun to prove a point. However, this is a small selection of advice I’ve heard since I began to take my writing serious a few years back.
And then I lost my way in my writing about four years ago. Because I’m apparently a literal person, so hubby says, I went from advice to advice in search of the best I could gather to do all the writerly things.
Until I read the true definition of advice above.
Here’s how I turned advice I was given into workable suggestions for my writing style, personality, and life schedule:
- Pick a time of day and write on your own work every day and nothing else—and stick to that time slot:
- Great advice if your schedule doesn’t evolve into something different each week. In my life and in this season, I realized I can’t always stick to a specific day or time slot. But what I can do is look at my planner on Friday before shutting down for the week and see where I can put my writing spots for the next week. Write those into the planner in ink, then fill in around those spots with all the other items on my list. With the pressure of keeping an exact same daily timeslot, followed by the feel of failure when that exact time slot was cancelled now gone, I’m able to get more productivity out of my writing sessions without that guilt of when it took place.
- Sit in the same place each writing session so your mind knows it’s time to write:
- Oh, I wish I could do this. But what if you have car pick-up line, are waiting in a doctor’s office, etc. Instead of losing the time of writing because you’re not in that perfect place, if you take advantage of any snippet of time and in any location, you’re able to put words down, no matter the chair or surroundings. Thus, more words were typed than may have been for that time. For instance, the other day I was stopped at a train near our house. It’s usually an extremely long train. So, I turned off my car, pulled out my phone and typed into my notes, two scene ideas for a current project. You could speak it into your phone as well. I, however, talk too fast and have a hard time transcribing what the dictation program grabbed!
- Type words every day before going to bed no matter what:
- It doesn’t matter if it’s crud word or not—get those 500 words in. Or at least 50. Or make it 5,000 words a week or no fun times with family and friends for you. This is great advice and maybe someday I can set those word goals. Even though I’m a goal-driven person by nature, the daily word goals became a trigger for me. The angst of failing them, followed by a binge of drinking too much cherry coke to “ease the guilt”. Once I dropped the word count and set the goal of writing on something every day whether it is my novel, a blog post, a submission to a magazine, or whatever, working the brain muscle to create words each day keeps my creativity rolling and keeps my joy of writing revved up.
- Light a candle, put on soft music, have a mug of coffee, and don’t forget a bowl of chocolate to nibble on as you work:
- This sounds great, loved the idea. BUT… the soot from the candle made my husband cough and gag all night once I blew it out, soft music made me bored and lethargic, Eww—don’t drink coffee and YUCK, I don’t like chocolate. Not to mention, I prefer not to have chocolate on my keyboard. Sorry coffee and chocolate lovers, I cannot join your club—then again, I’m saving it all for you! I’m not saying I don’t play music, I do, but it’s rather music du jour, whatever I’m in the mood for. Sometimes there’s a drink nearby, but not on my desk.
- Never write out of your genre. EVER:
- EVER? This one boggled my mind. Or was it my stubbornness that said – “but why not?” I strive to be a fiction author. But I like writing blog posts. A poem or two let’s my creativity out and have fun—like the puppy let out of the crate to play. I enjoy writing to encourage others in a nonfiction piece or note for snail mail. Is EVER appropriate? God has gifted me with the gift of words, why can’t I use them? I’m not seeking publication in all of the genres, but I see value to play with words as a wordsmith to flex that brain muscle.
- Be on social media every day, building your platform, morning and night:
- No. Just no. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy social media to be able to connect with people regularly. Yet I feel too much of certain things can pull you from the one thing God called you to do . . . write. YES, you need to have the connections on social media if you are going to be a writer. Yes, you should be there on a regular basis. But allowing yourself too much time on social media will pull you away from the writing you should be doing instead. Anybody get pulled down the social media sink hole and find you’ve been scrolling way past your allotted thirty minutes you gave yourself? Oh, that’s only me? Fibbers!
- Go to every conference you can:
- Every? Hmm, that will be costly. You will become overwhelmed with all of the advice you’ll receive. Often the same topic will be presented in so many ways, you’ll forget what you feel works for you. For instance—plotting. Say that word to a dozen writers and you’re likely to receive a dozen ways to “do it the correct way.” That’s only one example of a topic that has many, many opinions on how to do it.
- Join at least one critique group, more until you find the right one:
- I wasn’t sure if I wanted to share this advice. This advice is strongly based on a person’s opinion. Some writers have had wonderful experiences with a writing group. If you’re going to join, decide FOR YOU, what you’re looking for before attending one or more to try them out. If you’re looking for friendship, a mentor, a craft partner, a critique group to help drive your writing forward and make it stronger. A critique group is NOT one that will tell you each month your work is wonderful and nobody had any constructive suggestions to strengthen your writing. Be aware of those, most are in this group as a Hobby Writer—they have no desire to ever see their book in print. Also, be aware of the know it all, often unpublished, with lots of writing advice which doesn’t align with anything you’ve learned at conferences from multi-published authors.
- Always have a critique or craft partner:
- Another piece of advice I say is a gray area. If you can find one or two to be a consistent critique or craft partner, you’re blessed. Look for one or two that will be honest–brutal but honest. You want someone who won’t be looking to take but never give. This person expects you to critique their work, but “just couldn’t get to your piece this week.” Cut the partnership and move on. You need an honest, give and take craft partner to help nudge each other forward.
- Make sure you have the newest writing software, or several to try them out, no matter the cost:
- Unless you are a tech geek, this could take you away from actual writing for hours trying to figure out the program. There’s a popular one that many people recommend. I know a few who are masters of it and others that want to chuck their computer out the window trying to figure it out. Stick with what allows you to get the words onto the page, and also lets you enjoy the process. There is nothing wrong with a basic word processing program if it gets your book written and you haven’t pulled your hair out getting there because of your computer program.
The above items were a big part of my writing issues until about eight months ago when the reality hit. I’m a work in progress with some of them, but I’m in a forward moving momentum.
I’m truly grateful to have had a friend look me in the eye and say, “You don’t have to do what others do. Yes, follow writing and grammar rules. But do writing how you can do it. Stop listening to everyone else’s advice. It’s only their opinions.” Did I go to the dictionary for that? Why yes, yes I did! In case you’re as curious as I was:
Opinion: “A belief or judgement that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty.” “A personal view, attitude, or appraisal.”
While advice and opinions can be of great value, please learn to filter through each one that is given to you. Just because a famous author shared his or her opinion on how to write your book in a week, doesn’t mean that’s how YOU can write a book. Listen to what’s presented, then think how it may or may not be a fit for your life style and/or your writing process.
What about you? What are your thoughts on advice and opinions in your writing journey? Share helpful tips below to help us all find our writing life style.
TWEETABLE
Tammy writes romance—with a splash of sass. Her book, Launch That Book, re-released December, 2025. She’s also published in several compilations: Sustaining Life’s Victories, The PAC Method for Writers, and Cool-inary Moments. She’s also a regular writing team member for The Write Conversation, Blue Ridge Writer’s Conference Blog, The Write Editing, New Mercies Café, and The Word on Wednesday. Contact: HTTPS://WWW.TAMMYKARASEK.COM.
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