24 Carrot Writing
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Book Picks
  • About

​JUST STOP WRITING...AND REVIEW YOUR NOTES

1/31/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
By Annie Cronin Romano
 
As writers, we push ourselves to keep learning and improving. Writing workshops. Courses. Conferences. Critiques. We jot down ideas. Write the outline. Finish the draft.

But when do we pause? After all that craft work…after all that writing…do we ever take a few moments to sit and take in all we’ve learned? Do we check to see if it’s working for us? Because with all that effort put into our craft, we must be getting better at it, right?

Not taking time on a regular basis to process all we’ve absorbed through honing our craft—be it from a workshop or a critique—is one of the foremost disservices we writers do to ourselves. Yes, we certainly try applying what we learn, but it’s just as vital to stop for a bit and review all those writing suggestions and strategies we’ve gathered. Take some time—whether it’s once a month or after you finish a draft—and dive into your folders and file drawers. Pull out those notes you’re taken and handouts you’ve received from conferences and workshops. What suggestions have you implemented? Which ones have you avoided? Then look at your writing. Have the tips you’ve implemented strengthened your work? Perhaps you prefer your original version. And what about those strategies you haven’t tried? Maybe they seemed too difficult, or too time consuming, or maybe they’re not a good fit for your writing process. What if you use a style or suggestion that’s out of your comfort zone to rewrite a paragraph, a page, or a chapter?

Sometimes all the information we take in while honing our craft can be overwhelming. And we can’t possibly apply it all. But remember to stop. Take a breath. Then pull out those handouts and notes and read through them. Pick a few strategies you want to try. Review your writing based on what you’ve learned. And get your money’s worth out of all those enrichment opportunities you gave yourself.
​
~Annie 

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Peruse blogs for advice and tips from KidLit creatives. 
    Join Our Email List
    Join our Facebook Group

    Categories

    All
    20 Minute Miracles
    Accountability
    Amanda
    Annie
    Author Interviews
    Book Proposals
    Book Release
    Carrots
    Chapter Book
    Character Development
    Conferences
    Contest
    Cover Reveal
    Craft
    Creativity
    Critiques
    Diversity
    Drafting
    Editing
    Fiction
    Francine
    Graphic Novel
    Guest Posts
    Holiday Wishes
    Hook
    Illustration
    Inspirational
    Interviews
    Kelly
    Library
    Magazine Writing
    Marketing
    Megan
    Middle Grade
    Nonfiction
    Picture Books
    Plot
    Promotion
    Publishing
    Query
    Read
    Readers
    Revision
    SCBWI
    Self Publishing
    Self-Publishing
    Setting
    Story Structure
    Submissions
    Tech Tools
    Tips And Tools
    Voice
    What Is 24 Carrot Writing
    Writing Challenges
    Writing Community
    Writing Goals
    Ya
    Young Adult

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014

    RSS Feed

    Click to set custom HTML
    Click on the RSS Feed button above to receive notifications of new posts on this blog.
Photos used under Creative Commons from byzantiumbooks, davidwilson1949, JKehoe_Photos, GotCredit, Chicago's North Shore Conventions & Visitors Burea, Roman Pfeiffer, ymu rocks, Au Kirk, Sweet Dreamz Design
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Book Picks
  • About