Advice From Amateurs?

[kelly.morgan]

Advice that helps and makes sense to you is good advice no matter from whom it came. I've learned so much from so many different sources, quite a number of them "amateur". I don't trust advice automatically because it came from a professional just as I don't disregard advice from an unknown. Especially when it comes to something as subjective as writing. Aside from the basics, there are no rules. Except when there are.

[Fallen]

I received a bit of flack from someone (on another community) who felt that there is nothing anyone can learn from an unpublished author. I highly disagree. .

Oh, lol... I know who this is. And it highlights the dangers of writer's sites and its members going god on everyone. Just because a book is in print, it doesn't mean that it should be in print; just because a book got in print, it didn't mean that the author got paid for it to get there. So, working on his knowledge, does this mean we then only have to listen to paid authors? Because that does kind of cancel his voice out too...

You may be an unpublished author, but you're a reader too.

With writing we're there to grab the attention of the reader who isn't published, who isn't your local grammarian, and has probably never been bothered about getting that masters in Craetive Writing because, quite frankly, the technicalilties of the craft don't bother him. But they sure as hell know what they like. And its those likes and dislikes that sink or swim that 'published' author. So to say no-one should listen to anyone but published authors, they're running round with eyes closed to a monster that's just waiting to suck the juicy bits from their bones.

Design always creates debate and you shouldn't have to go and get published to have your say on the issue.

[writeitsideways]

I'm an amateur, but published writers visit my site all the time and thank me for my writing tips. I don't see why we should feel we don't have anything to share with others. Everyone's got a different perspective to offer, so why not take advantage of it?