Just as a writer can "over-write" a story, there comes a point one can "over-learn." With the mammoth amount of information regarding the craft of writing on the Internet, the books in print from "professionals" in the industry, and the plethora of writing conferences available ... I think it's time to say ... Enough!
There comes a moment when you just have to put the books down ... and write.
As wonderful as it is to have it all at our fingertips, it's also a roadblock. I know writers who spend their entire day, or at least half of it, scouring the net instead of writing. Then when they begin to write, their creative instinct is in the toilet. They're constantly referring to the last piece on grammar they just read, or whether their verbs are right, or their mind wanders to the blog by some snarky agent that's had it with crappy query letters ... and it literally zaps all thoughts of character, plot, and conflict right out of a writer's head.
We never stop learning ... but the best way is by doing ... not sitting on the sidelines watching everybody else. Sure, it's competitive, and you're going to make mistakes. There's no doubt, we writers must crawl before we walk and walk before we run. There's nothing wrong with learning as much as you can about the craft, take classes, and by all means - go to writing conferences.
But - there comes a time when you have to put all the good advise, all the book learning, all the well-said words from coaches, teachers, and other writers -- put them all into your brain funnel and see what comes out the other end. You can work on your marketing plan when you're close to finishing your novel. You can think about publicity when there's something to publicize. You can read all the blogs and web sites by other writers and how "they did it" when you've allowed yourself the spare time to digest it. (That includes mine!)
I would rather see writers find their voice, write their ideas, rewrite the stories they stuck in the back of the file cabinet last year, than to think they're not good enough to write because "how can we remember all this STUFF!"
Sometimes, when I'm listening to music, there's just one note ... one chord or piece of the song that moves me. I may write pages and pages of crap, and there's one little paragraph that outshines them all. One sentence that usable. One word that just pops out and becomes part of the finished story. My point is - the two best ways to learn how to write are these. 1) Read, by this I mean read other finished books, and number 2) Write.
Simple, isn't it. Doesn't it take all the guesswork out? Sure, we'll get rejections, and it might take longer ... but we'll find our own unique voice, and the work will become publishable. To the point one might even break out.
So, don't worry about how much you don't know. Don't dwell on the success of writers around you and the fact that you feel so far down the ladder. When it's time to find an editor to help you with your final submission ... you will. When you need to find a critique group ... they're out there waiting for new members all the time. After you've written your book and think you need to learn how to write a query letter, the information is as close as a google or your next Writer's Digest.
In the meantime ... find time to write your heart out. That's all you need to know, for now.
Blessings to you and yours.
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