In general, in matters of evaluation, the problem is that across the board the people who are best at things do not perceive themselves as above average, while people who are the worst at things think they're very good.
(Exceptions made for sports figures, who all know it when they're very good, much to my annoyance.)
So someone who gives shit advice can get away with it for a long time before someone else points out he's wrong, simply because the first someone is totally sure he's right, and the second person is cautious enough to doubt.
even with writing, it's always helpful to have someone you know and trust as an example, or an ear.
Helpful, but not always possible, and often terrifying. If you're
sensible
and realise that there's no one true way about any of the arts, I think copious reading can be very useful.
If you're not sensible, then all the humans in the world mightn't help.
Gah! (pumping another quarter in the slot)
Parenting support groups are not equal to people I know and trust on the subject.
I think we define parenting support groups differently, love. Mine, in the UK, was a group of parents with infants ranging between a week and about six months old, plus one "social counsellor" (provided by the state, with our UK tax dollars) and one "pediatric professional".
I'm beginning to sense parent support groups here aren't the same...
If you're sensible and realise that there's no one true way about any of the arts, I think copious reading can be very useful.
Probably true. But if it terrifies you (the universal you, not you specifically), that's something to confront early; publishing a novel comes with everyone criticising it. And if you're sensible about it, copious reading can be disastrous. It's one reason I read almost no fiction when I'm in mid-book; I don't want the voice changing. My editor is paying for that voice, and she loves it, and I'm-a keeping it.
Full circle, again: if Terry Pratchett took that no-adverb advice to heart, he'd have a different voice and he'd probably be selling insurance for a living.
If you're not sensible, then all the humans in the world mightn't help.
Words to live by.
And a new writing thread. Wow.
In general, in matters of evaluation, the problem is that across the board the people who are best at things do not perceive themselves as above average, while people who are the worst at things think they're very good.
(snip) So someone who gives shit advice can get away with it for a long time before someone else points out he's wrong, simply because the first someone is totally sure he's right, and the second person is cautious enough to doubt.
This should be put on a damn bronze plaque somewhere. Multiple somewheres.
There's also the fact that the shit advice might be pure gold for one out of every hundred readers, while the other 99 are being screwed by it. Again, totally subjective. Wheat, chaff, skill, needed.
Also, even brilliant writing advice is useless if you have no talent.
Also, even brilliant writing advice is useless if you have no talent.
Well, damn. There goes that.
