It’s 10am right now and I’m finally sitting down to some writing of my own. I’ve been critiquing for at least three hours and I have one, maybe two hours of writing time of my own before I need to go to bed. That means I get six hours of sleep before going to work tomorrow. There are nights when I’m editing until eleven o’clock at night, before even getting to my own work. I’ll often forego sleep to get some writing done.
Why do you keep doing it? Why spend this much time editing others when it leaves you so little time of your own?
I forgot who asked me this. It doesn’t really matter. I do this because I love it. All of it. I love writing. I love sharing what I know with others and that’s not even limited to writing. In my day job, I love nothing more than working with and training interns and new co-workers. Nothing gives me greater joy than to see someone working to learn more--to see things fall into place for the people I’ve been working with.
I’m a writer, yes. But I’m also a teacher. It’s just as much a part of me.
But you have a fulltime job and a life. You’re a mod over at The INKubator as well as trying to participate in other communities. It’s a wonder you even find time to edit, let alone write. Isn’t it exhausting? Not just for you but for all the other mods and editors?
Yes. It’s exhausting sometimes. But seeing the amazing stories you all produce? That’s more than worth it to me.
Is there something we can do help?
Yes, there is. We have no problem whatsoever helping you improve your writing as much as you can, but there is something we all often forget. I admit I’m guilty of it myself as well.
Make Yourself the Absolute Best You Can Be
I try to remember this myself but I do forget sometimes. I’m always grateful my friends forgive me for it. Whenever we finish a draft, we need to make it as good and as clean as we possibly can.
After all, don’t we owe it both to ourselves and to our reviewers to do everything we possibly can to make our piece shine before asking editors to spend their precious time trying to improve our work?
Don’t we owe it to ourselves and to our work to give it all that it deserves? There’s a lot to be learned from working on shorter pieces. Word economy is almost an art form in itself. To condense a plot and a full character arc into a one thousand word piece is a test and a challenge to your skills as a writer. The novel you write afterwards will come out all the more powerful with all the skill you’ve acquired.
That’s why we always advise newer members to start there--to start their journey with us with a shorter piece, rather than submitting the first chapter of a novel at the first go. It helps you familiarise yourself with the way we work and it helps us to get to know you and your writing style. It also shows us that we can trust you to build a discernible plot and character arc in the chapters that follow that first one.
We have a ton of resources at your disposal to help you do this--to help you understand the mechanics behind fiction writing.
We have a list of articles on our website that contain a ton of information. You can find the list right here.
We also have a few of our editors writing articles full of writing tips. I have my TinyTeaches series. @damianjayclay is writing a series of kick-ass posts about editing poetry. Fiction writers: Don't skip these. Damian's posts can be applied to fiction as well. @bex-dk has written a number of articles containing tips for writers. @thinknzombie has started a series called Worms of Wisdom and @therosepatch has started a series of her own, called Cultivate Your Prose with Rose.
We advise all authors and aspiring authors to read articles like these to refresh their memories on these topics on a regular basis. I know I do. Read them and apply what you learn from them to your work. You’re bound to see a huge difference.
Join the Workout Crew
Is reading up on these topics not enough? We encourage you to join in on our #writers-workout exercises where we focus on a specific aspect of story writing and help each other understand it better. You can read more about what we do in the workout channel in the article the participants of the last exercise wrote together.
But What If I Have a Partial Draft and I Don’t Know How to Proceed?
Well, you can submit that too. We’ll help you brainstorm, and we’ll do a developmental review for you to help you figure out where your story could be headed. We’re there for you, remember? We’ll help you get through this.
But when you submit a finished draft, try to do everything you can for it, before asking us to do the same.
- This helps us. It frees up our hands so we can get some work done on our own writing as well.
- This helps you. By doing everything you can, you allow us to focus on other issues. The things you really need our help with.
- By reading up on technique more first, you’ll also have an easier time making sense of everyone’s feedback as well saving us from pointing out the bits you were able to learn on your own. It's encouraged to put in specific questions or concerns you might have.
- It helps every other member of The Writers’ Block. By allowing us to work through your draft more efficiently, you free up our time and enable us to help more writers.
To Make a Long Story Short
I love helping you all and teaching you whatever I can. We all do over at The Writers’ Block.
But if you help us help you, you’ll be speeding up your development as a writer by leaps and bounds.
See you soon!
Hugs
Tiny
Would you like to read some of the other articles in the TinyTeaches series? A click on the title image will take you straight to my Non-fiction Steemshelf.
If you would like to read more of my work, feel free to have a look around on my off-Steem blog page by clicking the banner. My library there contains all of the pieces I’ve written since starting my blockchain adventure.
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You really do give heart and soul at The Writers’ Block. What will we do when you need a break? Or take a vacation? 😱
Well, David and I are about to start renovating our new house and that will mean a lot more absence from my part. Will be mostly reduced to phone during the first big part of it all.
Yes, that’s what I heard! The rest of us are going to have to step up and try to fill some big shoes!
Don't worry. My feet are pretty average-sized. :-D
Great bit of insight into the mind of a teacher. Anyone that loves teaching spends a part of themselves on every 'student.' If the student isn't trying his best, it's hard for the teacher to want to do his/her best.
For the good of everyone, let's all just do our best, yes?
Excellent read, @tinypaleokitchen.
Thank you very much for the support and encouragement, @negativer. ;-) Let's do just that. Our best.
Yes, Tiny! Excellent post!! The relationship between student and teacher has to be two-way, just like any relationship. If one drops the ball, all suffer. Learning how to work to benefit the other party only helps both to grow :) hugs
Thank you, Rose!
Great post Tiny! I can very much relate; I often sacrifice a lot of my own writing time to moderate at the block or work in the queue. And I enjoy spending my writing time on someone else's piece IF they've done the work up front to make it the best they can. When a member has done that, they kinda make it onto my secret list that I'm more apt to look at first when I dive into the queue.
Thank you, AK. Some people truly are a pleasure to work with. :-)
Great advice! Should be mandatory reading for new members.
I think almost all of us can use a reminder from time to time.
Thank you for this insight and all the work you do!!!
You're welcome. ;-)
Teaching fits you very well, as does writing. I am already learning so much from you and for that I am grateful.
Thank you, Evelien. You're a pleasure to have around and to edit for. :-)
:D
It's good that you love what you're doing and I hope that you continue to love doing so! This post also allowed me to see how your mind ticks so I can understand the mind of a teacher.
My only advice is to be careful if you're overworking. Stress isn't a very polite co-worker.
It's not. But writing and editing don't give me stress. They keep me sane.;-)
Great to know. We all gotta have something to keep us sane in this chaotic world after all. Good luck with your writing!
I'm so glad you mentioned the brainstorming aspect too. We love to do that. Some wonderful work comes out of brainstorming sessions.
Wonderful work and tons of fun and laughs!!!
You're a good egg, Tiny. Thanks for all you do at TWB!
You're such a darling Tiny, thanks for being you!
If you want to think about it in a selfish way, helping others with their work in turn makes you better at your own. So it benefits you ultimately :P
I realise that editing is teaching me a lot. This post was not about me asking for a pat on the back. :-)
It was about helping our members realise that their editors and critiquers give their own valuable free time--writing time--to help them.
I was trying to encourage people to be proactive and to read up first and doing as much as they can before submitting so that the time we put in can be used more efficiently to help them with those things they can't figure out on their own. It saves everyone a lot of time and work if we can stimulate that. ;-)
Oh don't worry, I know you didn't do it to pat your own back. You're awesome! And I think the whole Block is grateful that you're encouraging, errm, stimulation :P
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Reading this made me feel a bit guilty, I'm not good enough as a student. I realized that in our last conversation, I felt I basically betrayed you all when I didn't come with update for my story for a month.
I felt I betrayed you when I only come when it's of convenience to me, but on the bright side it made me want to be a good student (not sure if I can, my record is full of impulsiveness that I can't be sure if I'd post this comment while writing it right now.)
I'm not sure I can stick to workshop if I returned now, I lack discipline. But when I'm sure I'd work on every suggestion you all give right away I'll be back stronger and show you "The Absolute Best I Can Be"
Oh, I can still come and chat right? ahmad overthinks again