I think about writing books a lot. I guess that makes sense since I spend a good amount of time working on writing books, but recently I've been thinking about the progression of a writer. I guess it's because I'm revising one book while trying to figure out what I'm going to write next. I've also been querying, which is something that always makes a writer think about how good they are and how good they can be, I think.
So, the progression of a writer: Do we get better the more we write? Every bit of advice we're given includes writing more, right? So do we actually get better? I'd like to think so, since the first book I ever wrote was horrible. Really horrible. The second book made me think that maybe I could actually write books because it was the first time a story really fell into place for me. Writing has actually, at least in the first draft stages, gotten easier the more I do it. That first book took me a year and half to write because I didn't know how to write a book. Or at least I didn't know how I write.
Now I know my process and what works for me and what doesn't. Am I getting better? I don't know. I like KC as much as I like H. But I would surely hope that I'm getting better and not worse.
What do you think? Do writers get better with age?
I think certain things improve - I guess that would be considered technique, things like how to move the plot along and how not to use "like" 500 times in one cpt (not that I'm guilty of that).
ReplyDeleteNot sure if it's age as much as practice and experience that gets better with each new book.
I agree with Jennifer - learning how to construct the plot, when to up the ante, how to personify the characters so that readers relate and the use of more realistic dialogue all take a great deal of practice.
ReplyDeleteI also think sometimes our best ideas come out when we haven't had much experience - and any of us can write a dud every now and again. Overall quality should improve if only due to knowledge of how best to tailor your own creative process, but there has to be a core spark to build on, some sort of unique element about the narrative voice that engages and entertains.