by Gabbi Hall
Former journalist and author, Karen Jones, recently talked with us about her writing career in a Spotlight interview. With her experience as her guide, Karen also shared a couple pieces of advice for writers.
What I know now that I wish I knew then:
I wish I knew that the only way to get the book written was to stop talking and planning and just sit down and write! You cannot edit an empty page, and you can waste years thinking, planning, rearranging your writing space and doing research. But until you sit and write every day, you’re fooling yourself (but no one else).
Best advice I was ever given regarding overcome writing challenges:
Have a heart-to-heart with your inner critic. You know, the voice in your head that says, “You can’t do this. You are too old (or young). You don’t know enough anyway…” This is your inner critic composed of everyone who has ever told you that you are not good enough. Personify this inner critic (mine looks like the Wicked Witch of the West) and sit it down and have a chat. Tell it that it is not needed, and very lovingly tell it to go sit in the corner. Tell it that you will call it back to help you edit your first draft if it promises to behave, but until then, while you are creating, it must be silent. You will have to keep telling your inner critic to go back to the corner and sit while you write because it will be like a puppy. Eventually, you can tame the voice that says you are not good enough.
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