In a brief
interview with novelist Jodi Picoult, the Financial Times asked her what advice
she would give a budding author. Her answer:
“Carve out time each day to write, even if it’s 20 minutes. I’d recommend a workshop to learn how to give and receive criticism.”
In terms of carving out time, here’s how she does it: “At 5am I go for a walk with a friend. The kids leave for school at 7.30am and I start work. I answer my fan mail for about an hour. Then I edit yesterday’s work before I begin writing. I work until 3.30pm, when I start being a mum again.”
The more unusual part of her advice was suggesting joining a workshop or writing group in order to learn how to give and receive criticism. Because we tend to work in isolation, it’s difficult to get honest, constructive criticism, so there’s a lot of merit in this idea. The only drawback is that some writing groups are dominated by bitter members who are more interested in complaining, but if you can avoid those, it’s well worth your time to join a group or workshop.
PS: I’m about to go off on a long trip, but when I return I may be hosting a short-term (4 to 6 week) workshop that would allow time for feedback. If you’re interested, subscribe to this blog or else sign up for my Brainstorm e-bulletin (free, monthly)—that’s where I’ll announce any new workshops first. If you don’t already get the bulletin, just send an email request to BstormUK(at)aol.com.
