HEWAS-Hopelessly Excessive Writing Advice Syndrome

Sometimes I'm asked to give advice to new writers. Here it is:

You will never please everyone. So here are 3 don'ts and 3 do's

Don't worry about expert advice: The experts will always find a flaw with what you do. That's what makes them experts and allows them to be better than the rest of us.

Don't worry about your readers expectations too much: Your readers, even if you satisfy their thirst for a story, will always want more of something. More zebras, more cool stuff, more heroic deeds, more touching moments, more of what ever get them excited. That's usually okay, you should have readers that want more, that's how you sell the next book. Listen to them and make you next book with the more they wanted from this one.

Don't worry about your own doubts: You may never be satisfied with your story. That's okay too. you will do better the more you write. Don't get caught in a self-defeating, self-doubting self-view vortex. You are as good as you are and will get better and if you weren't you you still would not be someone else.

Do make it a good story first: If it makes sense that you tell you story a certain way, then do it. Writers often suffer from HE-WAS-Hopelessly Excessive-Writing Advice Syndrome. As in HE WAS going to be a good writer. HE-WAS but didn't because he got discouraged listening to too much conflicting advice.

Do give yourself permission to make some mistakes along the way: Because sometimes we get so concerned about making them it stifles our creativity. We all start out as amateurs and we will all make amateur mistakes. People can overlook a few of mistakes if they love the premise or the characters or your wording. Look at books that hit the best seller lists many have issues that an expert would frown at.

Do find out what it is that makes you a good storyteller-once you have done that, you then go on to become a great writer!