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Quality through quantity
In many things there is always the argument about quality versus quantity. In writing though, I believe that quantity definitely leads to quality. You know the old saying, 'practice makes perfect', and the more you write the better you'll get.
I started writing properly about five years ago, and when I read some of the things I was knocking together back then I realise just how far I've come. I'm sure a lot of experienced writers will agree with this, and I've even heard of writers completely binning everything they produced in their first years of writing.
In the beginning you are learning your craft, the same as you would with anything else, but it can seem more difficult to see the improvements in your writing. Unless you've been sending out for submission or competitions from day one and have seen increased acceptances, it's not always obvious, particularly in your own writing. You can be too close to it to notice its weak points.
But as long as you keep working away, the practice can only improve the quality as you become better at spotting where words can be cut, scenes improved and characters made more believeable.
I can definitely see the difference in the writing I do now compared to old drafts from many years ago that I discarded. I think you're right - the more you write, the more you know what works and what doesn't. It still doesn't make the cutting any easier though, especially when it's a favourite scene or chapter.
ReplyDeleteAnnalisa, writing A-Z vignettes, at Wake Up, Eat, Write, Sleep
After putting so much effort into each and every word, it can be hard to chop and chuck them!
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