3 Pieces of Writing Advice That Changed My Life

Summary

The speaker shares transformative writing advice that revolutionized their approach to the craft. By aiming for rejection to boost submission skills and acceptance rates, treating writing as a business to enhance discipline and productivity, and combating envy with positivity, the author not only improved as a writer but also grew personally. These strategies encourage writers to persevere, find joy in the writing process, and view rejection as a stepping stone to success.

Takeaways

• 🔄 Aim for Rejection: The writer's mindset shifted after reading an article suggesting to aim for 100 rejections a year, which led to a significant increase in submissions and acceptances.
• 💪 Develop Submission Skills: Rejection helps in honing the craft of submitting work to publications, including formatting, writing cover letters, and understanding submission guidelines.
• 📈 Increase Acceptance Rate: With more submissions, the acceptance rate naturally increases, as the writer experienced a jump from five to twelve accepted pieces in a year.
• 🛡️ Build Resilience: Rejection toughens the writer's emotional response, reducing the impact of each rejection and encouraging continuous submission.
• 💌 Value Personalized Feedback: Rejections sometimes come with valuable feedback that can guide revisions and improve the writing.
• 📈 Submission Leads to Reading: The act of submitting work ensures it is read by professionals, which is a form of validation and progress for the writer.
• 📚 Write More, Submit More: The goal of collecting rejections motivates the writer to complete more drafts and revise work, leading to a higher volume of finished pieces.
• 💼 Treat Writing Like a Business: Viewing writing as a professional endeavor, with discipline and regular work habits, can increase productivity and output.
• 🌟 Transform Envy into Positivity: Instead of letting envy hinder progress, the writer uses it as a catalyst for self-improvement and to celebrate the successes of others.
• 📈 Embrace the Writing Journey: The writer's approach to writing has evolved into a more productive and positive mindset, leading to personal and professional growth.

Q & A

What was the speaker's initial approach to submitting their writing before reading Kim Liao's article?

Before reading Kim Liao's article, the speaker submitted their writing to a limited number of literary magazines and contests, with eleven submissions in 2017 and fifteen in 2018.

What advice did Kim Liao give in the article that significantly impacted the speaker's writing career?

Kim Liao advised aiming for 100 rejections a year, suggesting that setting rejection goals can lead to more acceptances due to the increased effort in submissions.

How did the speaker's submission strategy change after reading Liao's advice?

The speaker's submission strategy changed from cautiously sending out work to launching 'air raids of submission grenades,' meaning they started submitting their work to a much larger number of publications, aiming for fifty rejections in 2019.

What were the benefits the speaker discovered from collecting rejections?

The benefits included honing submission skills, developing thicker skin, occasionally receiving personalized feedback, increasing acceptance rate, having writing professionals read their work, and inspiring them to write more.

How did the speaker's friend manage to write ten books a year?

The speaker's friend managed to write ten books a year by treating writing like a business, working with a plot outline, and having a team of editors to polish her drafts.

What was the advice the speaker received from their friend that helped them to be more productive?

The advice was to treat writing like a business, which involves approaching it as a job with discipline, regular breaks, and prioritizing writing tasks.

How did the speaker change their mindset about writing after considering it as a business?

The speaker shifted their mindset from viewing writing as a hobby to a business, which led to prioritizing writing tasks, increasing productivity, and finishing more stories.

What strategy did Jennifer Probst suggest for dealing with envy towards other writers' successes?

Jennifer Probst suggested acknowledging the feelings of envy, and then acting in a way that contradicts those feelings, such as congratulating the successful author or buying their book, to drain the poison from the negative emotions.

How does the speaker suggest using the feeling of envy to improve oneself?

The speaker suggests using envy as a guide for self-improvement by clarifying personal goals and working towards becoming a better writer, as well as supporting other writers' successes.

What is the overall message the speaker hopes to convey to other writers through their experiences?

The overall message is that writers should aim for rejection to improve, treat writing like a business to increase productivity, and turn envy into positivity to foster a supportive community and personal growth.