Young Writers Society

Hey, all you other YWS writers! So, here's a question: Which do you like better, to give tips or receive tips (on writing) and why?

Anyone? All right, I'll give you my opinion. I like both! It's fun to give tips, especially since I have a lot of them, and it's great to have someone tell me one I don't know.

Tips from people whom I know know what they're talking about. For someone to write a "How To Write A Novel" book without having written several novels themselves and had them published just doesn't make sense.

Sometimes people don't reply to posts for over an hour, sometimes more than a day. Try not to panic.

I like talking about writing, which means that I like to give and receive tips. I can talk on for hours about writing, which also means that I like listening to what people have to say on writing.

Writing is the kind of thing were everyone has their own opinions, and their own methods of writing. It's so diverse that it's fun to talk about it. Communities of writers are fun.

Hey Wordsmith! Welcome from drizzly England!

Just thought I'd get that out of the way. Right: I'm all for both.

Giving tips betters the writing community in general and gets you lots of points. You become more respected as a potential oracle within our circles.

Receiving tips means you personally get feedback and help but like I said, many others can also benefit from what you ask. There is no such thing as a bad question. Renowned Welsh poet Gillian Clarke was once asked: "Do you use poems to pull?" To which she replied, "I certainly used to!"

I agree with Tatra that it's fun to talk about writing because it is such a creative discipline. Plus we get to exercise our right to free speech which looks increasingly questionable nowadays! (This was purely an aside. If you would like to discuss the amount of free speech we do have, go over to the Debate Group. Thanks!)

Hope that answers your question.

Cheers,

Gahks

Writing, like most things, is amazing to give tips on for one main reason: it's easier said than done.

I can rant to someone for *hours* about character realism. Can I do it? Not a chance. (Haha, my weakest point.) But can I give tips on it? Yeah!

We writers also read. We know what readers like. Readers will be reading what you write. So shouldn't a reader critique what you wrote for them to read? [/confusingness]

~JFW1415

At this point I prefer receiving tips, because right now I don't really have any. But when I get good tips, it's fun to share them with other people. So both is great, but at the moment I'll say receiving.

I don't think anyone has any 'new' tips; just one's that have been recycled from other writers, who also recycled from other writers. I love both giving and receiving. It's great to discuss different writing techniques and styles with writers I admire.

I'll go ahead and join the flood by saying both, however I really do love giving tips. It's not my big ego, I promise! I just love working with new writers and getting to see that glow of discovery that comes right at the beginning. There's a very specially window when you first step into writing, novel-writing especially, that you never really forget. That first book? It's golden. It doesn't matter what other people say. That first book teaches you everything. I absolutely love helping others get it down on paper.

Sometimes people don't reply to posts for over an hour, sometimes more than a day. Try not to panic.

I wasn't panicking, I'm just IMPATIENT (yes, all caps). Besides, I only go onto YWS every once in a while.

Thanks for your input, everyone. So now, something else. So, what's your favorite tip to give/receive? Who do you ask for tips?

Plus we get to exercise our right to free speech which looks increasingly questionable nowadays! (This was purely an aside. If you would like to discuss the amount of free speech we do have, go over to the Debate Group. Thanks!)

So, as another aside, Gahks, what is the debate group and how can I join?