On Course

I applied for my first online writing event last Monday. Amazingly, none of my fingers had moved to delete the email earlier in the day. Where that sudden burst of confidence came from is anyone’s guess. Tweeting about my application later, I added a tongue-in-cheek comment asking whether I was finally taking this writing business seriously.

Spoiler alert: ever since I produced my first prompt response, I’ve taken my writing seriously. Of course, the person replying to my tweet wasn’t to know that.

What does ‘seriously’ mean in this context? Only what most writers would think it to be: working at the craft; striving to improve; and taking advice whenever it’s offered. I consider myself fortunate to have writing hints and critical commentary on tap as an author and member of Gay Authors.

You may have encountered my editor and writing confidante around these parts recently. I wouldn’t change him for the world, but he doesn’t wield the most nitpicking of red pens. At regular intervals, I submit pieces to other GA members and seek to learn from the experience, how ever brutal it might seem on first reading.

That’s a good way to learn, I’d have thought. It’s free, there for the asking (subject to other commitments), and is usually offered in a spirit of good advice. What I don’t understand is those of my fellow authors who appear content with the state of their writing. Indeed, some are openly hostile to even the mildest suggestion that an improvement might be possible.

Every so often, I sample their latest offerings. Experience should have taught me better. My eyes glaze over when confronted with exactly the same errors of grammar, word choice, and structure as before. Maybe if the story itself was compelling, I wouldn’t care quite as much? Hmm… not sure it works like that; often the new story is a copy of the previous one, and the one before that, with only the surface details changed.

Such paucity of creative imagination could be seen as another symptom of treading water. However, there’s a pretty large ‘but’ hiding here as well. These stories are often popular, attracting likes, followers, and comments far in excess of mine. So does jealousy colour my views?

Cue a rolling of eyes. To say a categorical ‘no’ would be a lie. Who doesn’t appreciate being liked? But then common sense applies. I’m an English writer posting to an international site which is heavily weighted to a North American slant. The ubiquitous teen / high school / college romance isn’t my cup of tea at all. My principle characters are older and often their journeys are more about discovering who they are and their place in the world.

In addition, as one of my writer friends says, there are readers on the site who’d applaud a shopping list if it were posted. No, I’m happy ploughing my own furrow, accompanied along the way by those readers whose intelligence and personal stories as displayed in the comments, often humble me. Part of my writing journey is to learn more and this course is another milestone on the way. Bring it on.

© 2020, northie

Your comments and constructive criticism are always welcome. How else should I learn?

Image by Kranich17 from Pixabay