Forum: Author Hangout

For me it was an editor who believed I should modify my writing style by adding salacious details of the women and sex in my story to improve its appeal to my readers. We sort of mutually dropped each other without discussion.

And that advice was SO bad (how bad was it?), you had to 'drop' him twice! ;)

I agree completely with hte whole write write an write some more theory.

I prefer the write, write, write, take a dump, write, write, have a snack, write till bedtime, sleep, wake up in the middle of the night and ...

Breaking with my own theme of listing the worst advice we've personally received, I'm instead going in the opposite direction. I've recently begun reading a recent book about Kurt Vonnegut's 'rules of writing'. Unlike every other list of writing rules, these seem especially creative, sympathetic and encouraging, rather than strict, petty and blind to any exceptions, however beautifully rendered.

Vonnegut's short How to Write with Style, (New York Times, 1980) included the following three especially encouraging ones, which are making me rethink my entire approach to writing;

No. 1: Find a subject you care about.

Find a subject you care about and which you in your heart feel others should care about too. It is this genuine caring, and not your games with language, which will be the most compelling and seductive elements in your style.

Nos. 2 - 4 all fall into a larger category of 'Pity the Reader' (No. 7):

They have to identify thousands of little marks on paper, and make sense of them immediately. They have to read, an art so difficult that most people don't really master it even after having studied it through grade school and high school, twelve long years. …

Our audience requires us to be sympathetic and patient teachers, ever willing to simplify and clarify—whereas we would rather soar high above the crowd, singing like nightingales.

And No. 5: Sound like yourself:

All these (original native languages, converted into English) are beautiful, just as the varieties of butterflies are beautiful. No matter your how (you naturally write) you should treasure it all your life. If it happens not to be standard English, the result is usually delightful, like a very pretty girl with one eye that is green, and one that is blue.

I suspect that, simply following these three simple pieces of honest advice, will best benefit ANY author, either newbie or established pro. In short, don't get in your own way, and don't make your stories any harder than they need to be.

Best: Have an outline, at least in your head.

In that I largely agree.

However, I quite often do not even have that when I start. Quite often I just start with a concept or even just the line of a song, and start writing. And as I write, the plot starts to evolve in my head as I go along.

Of my 3 "long form" stories, only one actually evolved from a plot I had planned out in my head before I put a single letter on the screen. 2 of them simply started as a single chapter short story. I wrote them up, then figured that was it. Only in the days later did I decide I would actually expand on them and turn them into something else.

But yes, before I even got to Chapter 5 in each, I knew how I wanted them all to ultimately play out. In general to me, the "story" is generally the first and last chapter (introduction and resolution), but most of it is really about what happens between the two.

"Show, don't tell."

Wait, that's the worst advice, or the best? If it's the worst, a brief explanation might help (though I realize it's a LOT more work, and often incredibly frustrating. But, did it actually harm your story, or just waste your time?

Wait, that's the worst advice, or the best?

An answer to your question - the worst.

I've never seen a convincing example of what a 'writing expert' means by 'show, don't tell'. They range from overly florid pieces of prose that nobody would want to read in genres of my choice, to simply adding more dialogue.

Writers can end up chasing themselves down rabbit holes while trying to achieve some semblance of 'writing expert' ideal.

AJ

An answer to your question - the worst.

I've never seen a convincing example of what a 'writing expert' means by 'show, don't tell'. They range from overly florid pieces of prose that nobody would want to read in genres of my choice, to simply adding more dialogue.

Writers can end up chasing themselves down rabbit holes while trying to achieve some semblance of 'writing expert' ideal.

That's what I suspected, and while I thought it might be worth discussing.

I'll be the first to admit, that 'showing' is NEVER easy. If it was, everyone would do it naturally. And the point isn't to write 'overly florid' purple prose, but to flesh out a character through their actions, rather than the narrator saying "Bob said, because X, Y and Z".

You also have to use it judiciously, as it does add a lot of bloat to a story, so you pick the most influential scenes, where you WANT readers to actually SEE how the character reacts, and then expand those few scenes. But, mostly, I've switched from attributions like "he said, causticly" and have switched over to 'action attributions', where you focus on the character's actions, rather than narrator explanations.

Of course, this also relies on your being apt at describing physical actions. Eye rolls, glancing away and biting their lips are easy (and a bit obvious), but it's tough describing expressive hand motions, especially if you don't come from a culture where such actions are common.

A quick example (the first I could find in the latest chapter of my newest book) follows:

"How did what you witnessed affect you?"

She glanced away again, speaking in a strangely placid tone. "It's strange." She faced him again, returning to a normal voice. "I've never imagined it, but after witnessing it …"

I know that many don't like these dramatic pauses, but they acknowledge the natural pauses when individuals discuss issues, as they pause to consider what precisely they're saying.

Another approach is to add descriptions (hopefully not overly florid ones) rather than the traditional 'explanatory attributions':

"As I said, you insert the cartridge, making sure it clicks to show that it's ...

Alice noticed the way the overcast sky cast an interesting pattern on the tiled sidewalk.

"And then you pull the trigger and presto, you're done."

"Oh, thanks. That was really helpful," she said, patting his arm. "But, I really have to go."

Rather than pointless, hopefully this off-the-cuff example highlights that Alice is not relating to those advising her, highlighting that she's skeptical of the wisdom they're supposedly imparting.

I do have a couple of handy books on the subject. I'll have to get back to you on those. Now whether they're helpful or not ... Awnlee turned, listening to the lovely call of a nearby bird, tweeting happily while fluttering from branch to branch.

Awnlee turned, listening to the lovely call of a nearby bird, tweeting happily while fluttering from branch to branch.

I may tweet too much but I don't flutter from branch to branch :-(

AJ

I may tweet too much but I don't flutter from branch to branch

The reference wasn't directed at you, I was only using you as an example of someone losing patience while someone else (i.e. me!) goes on and on about a variety of topics.

I was highlighting the dangler.

AJ

Why can't they want to change and have the change feel right?

Depends on the character.

In a current series I am working on, the POV character is deep down a very monogamous individual. He does not want to "sleep around", and wants to settle down with his "one love". He thought he found her, turned out she was not the one.

And as this part of the story progresses, he keeps finding himself almost put into situations where "casual sex" is happening. But is not really comfortable with it. He does not want a "bed partner", he wants a "life mate". He is kinda going along with it, but deep down he knows that is not for him.

But once again, I am working with the character. And inversely, there is another character in the story that is now background that is the opposite. She is rather a slut, and had tried to settle down with one individual once she met the POV character. But once that person was not around to satisfy her needs, she reverted back to getting whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted.

Some actually screamed at me when I had her break-up with the POV character, and literally become a whore and a slut. But they missed the parts where I wrote about where before she met him she was a slut, and simply went back when he was not around. She simply saw no more reason to change her behavior for his sake, and went back to how she wanted to behave.

Some people do indeed want to change, I recognize that. Otherwise addicts and alcoholics would never recover. But I have worked in substance abuse, and we almost all agree that before somebody can get clean, they have to WANT to change. You can not make an addict get clean, they have to ultimately decide for themselves that they want to get clean.

Oh, and when you really get into it, often "usually" or "most times" actually turns out to be "occasionally"

Sorry, but now you're just playing with terms to dismiss entire conversations as useless. There are a time and place for qualifiers, while I must say, I 'almost' never see you employing, either. And to be painfully precise (and bore everyone to tears), in this instance 'almost' means "I can recall a single instance in the many, many messages you've posted'.

I'm sure I've missed a few, but for one who's so quick to tear others down, you don't seem to practice what you preach.

It's so you'll know what to break when the time comes.

Or, more precisely, so you'll a) know the potential costs for breaking the rules, so you're prepared and can prepare for it and b) you'll know how and/or when to break the rules.

Think about it, if you have a character in your story unload a profanity-laced tirade on a main character, is it gonna be more memorable coming from the longshoreman, or the parish priest? That which is uncommon is more memorable.

Many of us can recall when a local minister/parish priest finally lost it, releasing a torrent of curse words (it never seems to be a single one). In the one case, including the cursing is akin to including accent in dialogue as strengthen the character portrayal, whereas in the second, it's a last-minute revelation, revealing how far the character has sunk over the course of the story.

Create character(s) that are relatable, and be true to them. Fell free to change and evolve them, but do not have them make sudden radical shifts for no reason.

Like the 17 year old virgin trope, that suddenly becomes a complete slut. The nice guy that suddenly becomes a complete jerk (or the reverse). None with any reason other than the born-again slut realizes the likes sex, or the "nice guy" decides he wants to become a jerk for no reason.

Myself, I often have characters "change", but it is always slow and gradual, and deep inside they are still fighting with themselves as it does not quite feel "right" to them.

While I agree with you about 1-dimensional characters, the majority of successful fiction depends on a substantial plot-twist, where the MC reaches a breaking point, questioning everything they're doing (again, often triggered by an 'out of character' moment), before they have a revelation, redouble their efforts which effectively carries the MC across the finish line.

The key, is the 'relatable' characters and the 'reasonableness' of character changes. The changes in the character have to make sense (beyond 'I got bored and decided to shake things up', while perfect characters are rarely any more relatable than 1-dimensional characters. Instead, characters should be like people, with character flaws which frequently get in the way, but which they strive to either overcome, or work-around for everyone's benefit.

Of course, epic-length 100+ chapters don't operate like novels, as they'd need 10 to 20 significant life-changing events, rather than the 1 or (maybe) 2 that are conceivable in a 20 - 30 chapter novel. In these 'Epic Serials' what's primarily important is consistency, so you don't lose readers the longer the story plays out.

Of course, epic-length 100+ chapters don't operate like novels, as they'd need 10 to 20 significant life-changing events, rather than the 1 or (maybe) 2 that are conceivable in a 20 - 30 chapter novel. In these 'Epic Serials' what's primarily important is consistency, so you don't lose readers the longer the story plays out.

This is why most of my longer stories are about characters evolving. They change, life happens, they change again. In fact, much of the "conflict" in mine now is that the character is feeling internal pressure to change, and he is to a big but ultimately he will not.

And ultimately he will end up in many ways as he started, just much more mature about it and with the right partner.

Another thing I have to do is keep notes. An outline in your head is good, but I need to keep track of all the characters their quirks, ages, what they look like and so on or I'll end up getting a detail wrong. When you do this, you may not notice, but one of your readers will.

I've recently completely revised HOW I write books. I used to keep everything in my head, letting it stew and develop for months at a time, until the story properly fermented and was ready to serve (onto the page, as that's when the writing occurred, followed by the lengthy editing and revision phases, as it was a long ways from anyone's 'plate'.

Due to a variety of minor medical issues, I kept losing track of various story threads mid-story, often dropping them entirely, or not properly resolving them.

So now, I start with a simple concept and start writing immediately (no waiting for anything to 'gel', but once I get the basics, I also note what's missing (a slow start, no initial conflict during the story development, etc.) so then I go back and add in all of my usual plot complications.

It's taking some getting used to, but while my last two books were ... somewhat disappointing, the newest seems promising. It still has my usual pages of dialogue between several people, but the story flows more naturally, and since I'm not tied into a specific mental schedule of events, I'm better able to adapt and change things on the fly (which was always a struggle before, whenever plot holes turned up).

However, I've always kept copious notes, specifically a character list, including which chapters each character appears and what their relationship to the protagonist is, a detailed timeline (for keeping track of non-sequential events) and several character descriptions.

One can always fly by the seat of their pants, but it's best to keep a notebook by your side, so you can keep track of WTF (Where the F*&@) you are at all times! ;)

As for Trigger Events (the literary term for what you're facing concerning how to begin), I'm also reading a couple books on those (I'm suddenly reading a LOT of books on various writing techniques, having found a few authors I trust). While I'm improving my story starts (which used to be tediously slow to develop), I've also discovered that most of my plot twists are badly placed.

I keep letting the plot twists occur as the character stumbled over them, rather than including them into the overall pacing of the book (i.e. plot reversals typically take place near the end, where the character runs into a proverbial wall, is unsure how to proceeds, and begins to question himself, just before he turns everything around for the big finish.

Thus, mine were happening way too soon, so the character would wrestle with his inner conflicts for much too long, bringing the entire story down, only to resolve the long-running inner conflict at the very end of the story. My approach really emphasized the internal conflict, but rarely produced the satisfying emotional conclusion.

Live and learn. You do something incredibly naive, think you're onto something, and continually repeat the same mistakes until someone takes you aside and says "About your plots ..." :(

I've been told that I should have less plot, and more sex scenes. Basically, I've had people ask me to write a "Flash" story, with just a sex scene. I can't do that.

I have had a few do that. I simply thank them, and tell them to read something else instead.

I've been told that I should have less plot, and more sex scenes. Basically, I've had people ask me to write a "Flash" story, with just a sex scene. I can't do that.

Ha-ha, tell them to buy the book, then remove all the pages they don't want to read. But asking authors to write stories devoid of plot is akin to asking artists to paint pictures devoid of paint or color. There's really no point to investing the incredible effort required to produce such a massive work.

But I also have a hard time trying to start writing in the middle of a story. I have to write it from start to finish.

I had a Fortran class in college. The idiot professor taught us to flowchart from the middle and work toward the beginning and end. Imagine starting a program in the middle?

However, I once read that the author of Twilight had a vision of a scene that caused her to write the novel. It wasn't a beginning scene.

As to "just write," you can't edit a blank page.

But I also have a hard time trying to start writing in the middle of a story. I have to write it from start to finish. Because so much can happen over the course of writing. In the story I'm currently writing (which I hope to have the first part of the story up on SoL in the next few days) there is an interesting theme that ended up developing that I hadn't planned on. It's nothing major but as the story unfolded this recurring theme turned out to be rather interesting and did serve as a turning point. Had I started in the middle or at the end and worked my way backwards this cute little theme would have been entirely missed.

Like most 'literary' techniques, advice like that are best left to those with enough writing experience to carry it off successfully, as it's NOT as easy technique to employ. As you suspect, you basically have to know the entire plot, before you can pick 'the middle' point.

The best advice is like you're following: just write, all those crappy bits can be refined during the editing process, but there is NO way to edit blank pages!

It's like you said, you have to know the ENTIRE plot and that's just not something I generally do. My imagination is too active for that. I think that's a very linear way of thinking.

Many refer to that as the 'pantsers/plotters' dilemma, contrasting those that write 'by the seat of their pants' vs. those who plot everything in excruciating detail.

Of course, very few sit at either extreme, but those are broad enough categories, everyone can usually pick one side or the other.

Yeah that's what gets me. I have mad respect for the writers who can write a scene or a chapter in the middle or the end and then cater everything else in the book to scene. I can't do it. To me, I make too many sacrifices in the way of plot and detail if I do that.

I'm kind of in the middle, though I always know where the plot is going, if not the precise ending details, I always write towards the ending, steadily driving the story there.

I'm a planner, but not an anal planner, thus I'll plot out plot points, but won't know how the story gets from one plot point to the next, or even precisely how the story ends, only the general ending that I'm aiming for.

I'm also a chronological writer, so there's no way I can skip around, writing bits and pieces and then filling in the bits in between later. I need to see how the story unfolds, as it never plays out as I expect it will, and there are always several significant plot twists I never expected.

However, what I do is to write the entire first draft, then back up and revise the entire story to fill in the details, knowing how the story does end. This latest novel is a twist, since I keep adding flashback details, which keep requiring more foreshadowing or updates throughout the story. So, I'm doing more revisions (before submitting it to my editors) than I ever have before. But, if that's the price I pay for not planning this out in advance, it worth it, as this story seems stronger than my last few were.

I get ideas for the future

I maintain a second file for the story. It has info about characters and detail for things like the town, results of research I've done (sometimes saving the links), for my novels a chapter-by-chapter summary, AND at the end I sometimes write ideas for future parts of the story (because I have a lousy memory). And sometimes it's not simply the idea, but to write a section of it.

I've seen some other people mention that as well. I haven't done that yet, but I should start doing it. Especially as I start getting more ideas for future things. The good and bad thing about having ADD is I get distracted. It's good because I can brainstorm ideas into the future and give myself something to work towards.

In that case, you should definitely keep story notes as you write. I too have ADD, as well as Asperger's syndrome (there's a strong coorelation between the two), so I can definitely relate.

I maintain a second file for the story. It has info about characters and detail for things like the town, results of research I've done, for my novels a chapter-by-chapter summary, AND at the end I sometimes write ideas for future parts of the story (because I have a lousy memory)

That is one thing that I've never done, because despite having a general view of how the story unfolds and even how it ends, I NEVER know what happens along the way, or how long each of their segments might be (i.e. one chapter or three), not to mention I have no clue what subplots are likely to arise.

Instead, ALL of the chapter outlines I've ever written are compiled after the fact, once I've completed the entire first draft, mainly so I'll be able to locate what chapter particular events occurred in.

Even so, on my latest story, after compiling a 14 chapter summary (again, once the first draft was completed), I went back and added another five chapters, all flashback scenes exploring different aspects of the main character's relationships with others. I didn't put them in any kind of chronological order (until each was completed, and I knew what was in it, so I'd know where they best fit into the story).

That's not to say that chapter outlines aren't helpful. Many authors employ them, and most mainstream publishers require them. It's just that I never lock the story down in that much detail. Instead, I let the story flow naturally, as one event triggers other, secondary events, which take the story in unexpected directions, which I feel is more useful (for me, at least), than sticking to a predefined script.

ALL of the chapter outlines I've ever written are compiled after the fact,

Mine are after the fact. I don't outline. When I finish a chapter, I write a brief summary. I also put in the word count and sometimes who the POV character is (if I change POV characters throughout the story).

What I use it for is if I need to make a change to an earlier part of the story I can easily/quickly find which chapter it's in. Also, when it's all done, I can read the chapter summaries to get a flow of the story.

Mine are after the fact. I don't outline. When I finish a chapter, I write a brief summary. I also put in the word count and sometimes who the POV character is (if I change POV characters throughout the story).

Yeah, we operate similarly then (which is what I've always thought). In my case, I keep chapter lengths (and the current word count for the entire book, minus extras like epigraphs), in a separate Excel file, which I keep open for rapid updates as I write (since the information is non-essential and backed up regularly).

This newest story, since it keeps changing so radically at each stage of the book's progress, I also continually revise the chapter summary (timeline) and character list (which lists which chapters each character first appears in). I also keep a separate 'character list by chapter', so I can create a pre-publication character list, if necessary.

For fiction, they require a synopsis which is NOT a chapter by chapter summary. They use it to look for plot holes, flow, if the story has a satisfactory ending, etc.

And, in most cases, fiction authors compile them, like us, after the fact (since not many authors submit a proposal until they determine whether a particualr story will work or not, so they usually have several chapters (at least) already written beforehand, plus it often takes months before a publisher is willing to sit down for a meeting, during which they write even more.

and most mainstream publishers require them.

They do for non-fiction. A chapter by chapter outline. It's usually done as a proposal before the book is written.

For fiction, they require a synopsis which is NOT a chapter by chapter summary. They use it to look for plot holes, flow, if the story has a satisfactory ending, etc.

right now in the book I'm writing that I hope will be the first I put on SoL, I've got a really awesome idea that will be a huge shocker... but I can't do it yet. Like I mean at the earliest I could see doing it would be sometime in the second book. And I'm nowhere NEAR that part of the story.

Nothing says you can't write a segment that happens at some point in the future, and it's not necessary to use it, either at all or how you write it at the point.

Instead, future chapters are akin to making story notes, to remind yourself of what you'd like to implement, but once you reach that point, it'll likely be heavily modified anyway.

Still, writing it out is a useful way to flesh out ideas, to see whether they have legs to stand on, or whether they simply won't pan out.

So, trying out ideas is not the same as writing chapters out of sequence. When you write that type of segment, you get a better idea, not only of where the story is going, but into hidden aspects of characters which haven't shown up in your story yet.

my best was be true to your characters. if they have to change in any dramatic ways, write it so that it's believeable.

That makes sense, to a degree, but you should always have a last minute plot twist, not only for your main character (where they are beset by doubts and consider quitting, before they redouble their efforts, or they reveal some long hidden aspect of them, which completely changes how they proceed), but sometimes to help humanize your antagonist too. That's just decent drama, getting the character's to reveal their true intentions.

That makes sense, to a degree, but you should always have a last minute plot twist, not only for your main character (where they are beset by doubts and consider quitting, before they redouble their efforts, or they reveal some long hidden aspect of them, which completely changes how they proceed), but sometimes to help humanize your antagonist too. That's just decent drama, getting the character's to reveal their true intentions.

And there are many ways to do that.

My favorite is to hide things in plain sight, like breadcrumbs that most people will simply overlook. A mention here, a comment there, something seen at another point.

And then only much later does the reader pull everything together, and realized that they largely fooled themselves. Like in "The Sixth Sense", or O. Henry. Yea, the girlfriend was really a slut, the girl was really a robot all along, or the lover mentioned in an early chapter was really the villain fought against at the end.

My favorite is to hide things in plain sight, like breadcrumbs that most people will simply overlook. A mention here, a comment there, something seen at another point.

Which is also known as "foreshadowing", which I'm fairly adept at, as it ensures that any 'shocking' revelations make sense when readers finally encounter it. (ex: "Ah, so that's what Mac was talking about when he mentioned Tad was acting oddly.")

The thing to go with that is: if you get stuck on a scene, put a phrase about what was supposed to happen in that scene, then skip it and write the next scene, and the next. Come back to the stuck scene every so often and see if you can move it along.

Whenever I get stuck, it's because I missed something. Either I'm having the characters do something which isn't in their nature, or the transition between scenes/chapters needs work. So the hang up requires me to identify the specific problem before I can rectify it. However, my biggest problem is when the story just 'dries up' midway through, and there doesn't seem to be enough to the story to continue writing. :(

From what I've seen, this is when the author just lists the character going through his daily routine in excruciating detail. Like getting out of bed, going to the bathroom on peeing (never seeming to need a bowel movement), brushing teeth, (rarely shaving - must be too young or had some type of hair removal), gargling (make sure to mention which mouthwash), showering, starting to dry off as they are interrupted for sex, maybe another shower, dressing (making sure to describe in what), breakfast (list everything on the menu and always have bacon), logistics of where they go (because they are doers), describe what the person they meet is wearing, go to lunch (detailed menu, then obligatory ice cream somewhere else for dessert) and so on. Throw in the little bit of outline for each chapter and repeat for several chapters until you hit your word count.

At least that is how I've seen it done time after time.

OTOH, a lot of that also is people slavishly following "show don't tell" and "write what you know". Some people know a lot about clothes. Or cooking. Or guns. So they throw a lot of details about the stuff they know in, thinking that's what is meant by that 'rule'.

Concerning the 'Write What You Know' nonsense, I recently saw an excellent PBS documentary "Toni Morrison: The Pieces of You", who worked as an editor for years, while writing on the sly for decades. Her response has always been 'forget what you know, write about what you've never encountered before'. For her, the 'what you know' part consisted on your real-world perceptions, cast over an altogether new setting or 'keep the familiar, but write about unfamiliar things' (broadly paraphrasing here).

Then again, before she finally won the Nobel Prize for Literature, she was routinely derided for 'having no coherent plots', despite being widely loved by legions of loyal fans. So, consider that same criticism as 'reviewers favorite put-down for popular books who don't cater to reviewers'. (i.e. if you aren't writing the next Literary Masterpiece, you can pretty much ignore that type of suggestion).

Best piece of advice I got which I still use to this day is to not use the word "that."

Of course my old college professor had to beat me upside the head constantly to remember it, but I do.

A perfect example of Shaw's 'Those who can, do; those who can't, teach.' ;-)

AJ

That should be, "That that can do that, do that; that that can't do that, teach that." ;-)

HALLELUJAH!

One of my pet peeves.

Best piece of advice I got which I still use to this day is to not use the word "that."

I've become so adept at leaving out "that" that I lately have been putting it in where I think it is needed (like in this sentence).

I'm surprised no one's brought up the unneeded "of." I find it more offensive than the unneeded "that." For instance:

He got off of the horse.
He got off the horse.

Try it with more modern transportation.

He got off of the hood of the car.
He got off the hood of the car.
LOL

"He got out the car." just doesn't sound right to me.

Nevertheless it's becoming normalised :-(

AJ

It does not take an expert to ride a stallion, just a competent rider. Just as there are plenty of geldings that are not suitable for novice riders.

Or "riding a stallion is akin to standing behind any horse, while there's nothing inherently wrong, eventually you will get kicked/nipped!"

So no, it is entirely wrong to claim that "eventually you will get kicked".

For specific horses, but I was speaking of the generic plural (i.e. horses). If you cavalierly walk behind horses, without paying attention to warning signs, you will eventually get kicked (or nipped). Again, horses are not like cars, they have their own personalities.

P.S. The same is true for most authors, as you never know what'll set them off on any given day.

I was told quite clearly to stop writing because I was terrible at it .
I took the advice and for many years did not publish stories...

I finally decided I had too many stories in my head to let them go to waste.

I was told quite clearly to stop writing because I was terrible at it .

So was that the worst or best advice? LOL

It depends on how you look at it.

It was the worst for me because it humiliated me and made me feel incapable of telling stories. It made me feel like I had nothing to offer anyone and that I was going to simply remain a parasite who consumes dirty stories and gives nothing in return.

It was the best advice if you hate my stories/themes and wanted me to stop writing because it clutters up the "new and updated story list" with garbage/shovelware stories that are dull and poor carbon copies of existing stories.

I was told quite clearly to stop writing because I was terrible at it .
I took the advice and for many years did not publish stories...

I finally decided I had too many stories in my head to let them go to waste.

Luckily, that could mean a million different things. In most cases, it merely means 'no mainstream publisher would touch this with a ten-foot pole', and since I pick stories that challenge me, rather than picking stories that readers are eager to read carbon copies of, I take it as a compliment.

In the modern age of 'desktop publishing' and 'independent authors', as long as you fill a need, however small, there's room for your voice, the overhyped mainstream publishers be damned!

In the US and Europe, you'll rarely find people riding horses as their primary transportation.

Today. Not all stories are set in the modern era.

Yep, my new novel "The Breeder" takes place in 1882 and the primary transportation is horseback or buggy/wagon pulled by horse(s).

And my hero's riding horse is a stallion. Mean horse that won't let anyone else ride it. Wouldn't even let anyone get close to it, other than two important women in the story.

The only other stallion in the story is also mean. An Alpha. That meanness plays a role in the plot.

The only other stallion in the story is also mean. An Alpha. That meanness plays a role in the plot.

Most bad guys in my stories are mean too, which is why my protagonists often consider gelding them, too. It may not help, but it's at least satisfying snipping those suckers. :)

He got off of the horse.
He got off the horse.

And the vegan version, 'He got off his high horse'. ;-)

AJ

High? Don't you mean Rocking?

He got off his high horse.

He got off of his rocking horse.

;-)

AJ

And the vegan version, 'He got off his high horse'. ;-)

That also applies to short people (ex: "Damn! That's a really high horse. He should really quit smoking the wacky tobaccy!").

For instance:

He got off of the horse.
He got off the horse.

Or:

This is yet another topic we need to get off of!
as opposed to the more generic
This is yet another topic we use to get off.