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| Photo courtesy of Dave R Farmer on WANA Commons |
I was always told by coaches and teachers that "Practice makes perfect," but I've realized in the last few years that is not true. The phrase should be "Practice makes consistent." If you are practicing the wrong methods, you will just get more consistent at doing it wrong. For twenty years I wrote by the seat of my pants. Whatever came to me is how I wrote it down, and I was never satisfied with my work. The story concepts and characters were good and well done. People loved the emotions and the action, but there was always something missing.
They say there isn't a wrong way to write. That has some truth in it, but there is a wrong way to approach writing. I'm no self-proclaimed expert, nor would I accept that title. What I am is a practitioner of writing. Like every great writer, the ones who are good at their craft are the ones who have practiced for years. They also listened when an editor or critique partner showed them a right way to approach their story.
