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Wisdom from Willamette Writers Conference

Published on 2 Comments on Wisdom from Willamette Writers Conference
Willamette Writers Conference Wall of Advice
Wall of Writing Advice

This past weekend I was at the Willamette Writers Conference here in Portland, Oregon (an amazing conference with great teachers and programs--I highly recommend it).

On Sunday I had the pleasure of presenting some programming about NaNoWriMo.  For one of the activities, the attendees wrote down their best writing advice on sticky notes so we could create the Wall of Advice you see above.  I promised to write up a post so everyone could see what was written, so here it is.

The advice:

  • First read, then write. Write every day.
  • The difference between your book and the last book you read that you hated is that they sat down and finished theirs.
  • Don't over-outline. Let your characters develop themselves. ~Stephen King
  • It is pen and paper not a monster howling outside your door splintering the wood as it crashes through to slice you to shreds with fearsome claws.
  • The importance of concepting. Being able to describe your work in a simple phrase so others get it.
  • Trust your voice--and follow it.
  • Allow yourself to write for just 2 minutes and stop if you want. Often, you will want to keep going.
  • When someone tells you writing is a waste of your time, ignore them. They don't know what they're talking about.
  • First, do a good, big vomit. Edit later.
  • Just get it on paper. You can fix it later.

So much great advice, isn't it?  That second one about finishing really hit home for me.

What's your favorite or best piece of writing advice? Leave a note in the comments so we can all gather some wisdom to rev up our writing lives.

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2 thoughts on “Wisdom from Willamette Writers Conference”

  1. jeanie

    Trusting your voice and following it is great advice for any creative as well as living life! One of my favorite pieces writing advice is: when you don't know how to articulate something, talk it out into a tape recorder or tell it to friend. Listen to how your voice sounds and capture the phrases.

    1. Kim Post author

      I love that advice about talking it out, Jeanie. I do that a lot, sometimes just out loud to myself without even recording it. I think actually speaking the thoughts can help you get hold of them.

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