Recently, I had the great good fortune to attend Space City Con in Houston. And although I'm tempted to tell you for pages about the meter-pegging awesomeness that is NASA or fly my geek flag high about the media celebrities I glimpsed, what stood out for me were the interactions I had with authors. Elizabeth Bear, Jim Butcher, Tracy and Laura Hickman, Amanda Downum---names to conjure with, am I right?---all spent time talking to people at the con about writing.*
In panels, at signings, online...authors who are demonstrably at the top of the craft spend the time to share what they've learned, to teach what they know. This is important, because writing is a jouneyman's craft: you learn it because someone shows you how to do the hard parts (and then you practice, a lot).
So look for these opportunities. Ask questions when you meet people who have been writing longer than you, and let them suggest how to get past the things that are difficult for you right now. Teach people who ask you for advice the things you've learned. Be curious, be generous. Good writing isn't a zero-sum game: the more of it there is in your genre, the more readers it attracts for everyone's books.
*Want to know what they said? The Hickmans gave a quick version of their Scribe's Forge workshop, talking about what makes a good story arc and the foundation of character relationships. Jim Butcher talked about using the scene/sequel structure (covered, along with much more advice, in his Livejournal). Bear and Downum did a Q&A that covered everything from how to navigate the publishing industry to what to do when your story's stuck (explosions were mentioned). You can read Chuck Wendig's interview with Elizabeth Bear about all things writing here.
In panels, at signings, online...authors who are demonstrably at the top of the craft spend the time to share what they've learned, to teach what they know. This is important, because writing is a jouneyman's craft: you learn it because someone shows you how to do the hard parts (and then you practice, a lot).
So look for these opportunities. Ask questions when you meet people who have been writing longer than you, and let them suggest how to get past the things that are difficult for you right now. Teach people who ask you for advice the things you've learned. Be curious, be generous. Good writing isn't a zero-sum game: the more of it there is in your genre, the more readers it attracts for everyone's books.
*Want to know what they said? The Hickmans gave a quick version of their Scribe's Forge workshop, talking about what makes a good story arc and the foundation of character relationships. Jim Butcher talked about using the scene/sequel structure (covered, along with much more advice, in his Livejournal). Bear and Downum did a Q&A that covered everything from how to navigate the publishing industry to what to do when your story's stuck (explosions were mentioned). You can read Chuck Wendig's interview with Elizabeth Bear about all things writing here.
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