Monday Viral Blues

I decided I needed to post twice a week. Mondays will be devoted to writing advice, author interviews, and other topics of interest to writers. Thursdays will be recipe/family life articles.

So this Monday post is: Simple Advice for Writers, 5 easy ideas of things NOT to do (Yes, I've done them all)

1. Never write while under the influence of children. Your dialogue ends up reading something like this:
"Kiss me," she whispered, passion glittering in her eyes.
"Quit kicking the cat!"
"Oh, my dearest darling, Stop squishing peas into the carpet!"
"I don't care what your brother said, he is NOT stealing your air when he breathes!"
Her bosom heaved as his hand slapped his sister. "I'll give you something to scream about, you little monsters!"

2. Never write while under the influence of cold medication. This should be self-explanatory. If you're anything like me, your brain takes a holiday. What you write is highly entertaining but usually makes very little sense when read in the light of day.

3. Never take advice columns too seriously. Really, folks. The best way to learn to write is to do it. Then get people you trust to read what you've written and give you feedback. If all they tell you is, "This is wonderful!", find other friends who know something about writing. Pick apart books you like, books you don't like, movies, whatever has a story to tell. Study other people's writings. Then write more of your own works. Keep writing.

Good luck with your writing endeavors. I'm going to go take more cold medication now.