Everyone has someone who they admire. I know I’ve said it before, but it’s important. Outside of workshops or critique groups, it’s always good as a writer to have someone in your group of colleagues whom you can go to for honest, thorough criticism. Whether it’s truly a mentor or not, it’s good to have that person to rely on when you’re in need of some wisdom.
I have three people who I regularly refer to when I’m in need of some words – sometimes of wisdom, sometimes of sarcasm, sometimes just something off the wall.
One of them is John McIntyre, who writes the blog You Don’t Say. While he is a journalist, and I a fiction writer and editor, there is a shared love of language that always makes me eager to read what he has to say about peoples’ language foibles (yes, I said foibles). He has the same mentality that I do when it comes to editing: make good use of the language.
I had a discussion recently with someone in regards to prescriptive and descriptive grammar. For anyone who’s not a linguist, I’ll give you the basics: prescriptive grammarians believe that there are rules of grammar, and there should always be rules of grammar, and everyone should follow them all the time; language changes very slowly for them. Descriptive grammarians believe that language is meant to communicate between peoples and can, therefore, change dramatically and quickly between cultures and generations; language, then, isn’t meant to be restricted by rules, only to be broken down into grammatical elements to be studied.
The reason I bring that up is because language is meant to communicate and when someone fails to do so effectively, others notice. Most of the time it’s guys like McIntyre and me who love to find grammatical mistakes that severely limit one’s understanding of the text. Sometimes I wonder if it’s a sin to be so delightfully pleased by picking up on those things.
The other two people are fiction writers.
One of them is a moderator at the Fargoth World-Building Site. He’s a good reader and has a keen eye for good story. I’ve sent him a number of things in the past. Plus, he’s pretty funny. I trust his opinion because he understands the world-building process very well when it comes to Fantasy and Science Fiction. He does help run a website that is all about world-building after all.
The other is the notorious Howard von Darkmoor, who is a Fantasy book reviewer. He reads like no other person I know. His list of novels is seemingly endless, and somehow he manages to get through them with amazing speed. Sometimes I wonder if he actually has a job or if he just sits at home reading all day. He also has a good eye for marketable stories. He’s seen a lot of what works and a lot of what doesn’t. He’s also a good writer and a vocal supporter of writing groups – namely mine. His opinions are always well thought-out, and his critiques are always detailed. Even if you don’t agree with them, you’ll know where he’s coming from.
So those are mine. Most writers have them; some only have one; but it’s a good idea to find someone you can trust who will give you good advice about your writing. Don’t find people to stroke your ego: that won’t get you published. And don’t find people who have nothing kind to say about you or your writing: that only makes you not want to get published. You need someone who is honest but kind; someone who’s critical but helpful.
