NaNoWriMo Day 25: Tips From a Master

Chances are, you don't know who Jane Friedman is—but my Language Arts teacher Mrs. Kratky says she's one of the most knowledgable people in the publishing industry. I guess that's to be expected, since she has more than 20 years experience.

Mrs. Kratky says Ms. Friedman gives great advice to aspiring writers—and recently, wrote a blog post about advice for YOUNG writers (that's me!) You can read the entire post here, but it's long, and so I thought I'd summarize each of her tips so you don't take too much time away from your word counts—it is, after all, the final five days of NaNoWriMo.

A lot of this you've heard before—I've been sharing tips from the pros all month—but in case you missed a few of my blog updates (I get it, you've been busy writing), this will be an excellent refresher.

1. Keep writing. A writer is someone who writes. 
2. Experiment. You don't need to lock yourself into one style or genre—say, thriller. You can try all kinds of styles to see what you enjoy writing most.
3. Read. Read beyond what you're assigned in school, even if those are some pretty amazing books. Read what inspires you.
4. Find yourself a mentor. You don't want a cheerleader and you don't want a parent—you want someone who has accomplished some writing and shares your vision. I know, that's hard to find, but I plan on asking Mrs. Kratky if she'll be my mentor—she kind of already has been. 
5. There's no such thing as writer's block. Usually, if you can't move forward on your work in progress, it means you're afraid of something, or you may be working on the wrong project (don't be alarmed) or you just aren't ready to take that next step. 
6. Don't believe everything you read about the writing process. This is probably self explanatory, but just because you read that your favourite author goes to a remote cabin in the woods to write doesn't mean that is your process. Even though it sounds kind of cool. 
7. Be patient. The publishing industry is slow.
8. Take advantage of your youth. Practice and experiment with different styles and tones and genres. Follow your impulses—and have fun! <-- This is my favourite tip, I think. 

Sure, NaNoWriMo is a lot of pressure, but I'm still having fun writing, and I guess that's the most important thing. It shouldn't feel like work—at least not now, when I'm still in school and have my whole life ahead of me. I want writing to be a part of it, but right now, it's definitely not the only part of me.

But on that note, I'm off to do some writing before school this morning. How's that for Monday Motivation?

Gotta jet! May the words be with you.

~ Chase Superman Duffy