There is a wonderful writer’s symposium called Life The Universe and Everything. And Here are some notes from one of the panels. Best and worst writing advice. For your reading and writing pleasure. The program book said that the panelists were: (Frank Cole, Anna del Dye, Mette Ivie Harrison, Tyler Whitesides)

-Write the first book, get it ready to send out, send out then start on the next book. Don’t be married to your first book.
-Continue to read, especially in the genre you write in so you can be familiar with the elements of that genre and what is being written.
-If you have an idea write it, each idea, even with a familiar or already used concept is written in a unique way.
-Don’t follow the hot market. Write the best story you can write.
-After you have written several books and you have learned and refined different skills; go back to the books you’ve already written and see how they can be redone.
-Rock Canyon = is an on line group where professional writers discuss the business etc.
-Ways writing conferences can contribute to your success. 1. They can contribute to your success by who you network with there. 2. You can establish life long friendships. 3. Meet with agents and editors who come as guests and come looking for new clients.
-Read Stephen King’s book on writing.
-You need to establish a thick skin. You have got to keep submitting even when people give you some negative critique
-Look for ways to have each character speak differently.
-Don’t let your fears stop you. Different people like different fiction. It is nice to have fiction variety.
-Take each critique with a grain of salt. Some comments from a member of a critique group can be useful and others need to be ignored. Writing groups are geared to find the problems in writing and we often hear just the problems. Writing groups are good to find a weakness in a plot. It should be the author not the critiquer who provide the solutions to fixing the plot hole. Otherwise it no longer becomes the author’s story.
-You need to find critiques from people who enjoy reading in your chosen genre.

Well there you go. If you have advice that you would like to add, please feel free to share it in the comment section of this blog.