It’s the first Wednesday of the month and time for another Insecure Writers’ Support Group post.

This month’s question is not one I dwell on a lot. For fiction writers in particular, angst and insecurity come with the territory and spending too much time thinking about the many pitfalls depletes confidence and makes us a bit neurotic. That said, I have a question to answer…

I don’t have a list of pet peeves when it comes to reading because I simply stop reading around the third chapter if I am not engaged in a story. My TBR pile is tall and life is short.

***This is not a carefully curated list.***

Pet Peeve #1: Advice to authors to “just write”.  Simplistic and condescending are my first reactions. Writing is a skill set as well as an art. Skill benefits from instruction. Practice is important, but it’s only one component.

Pet Peeve #2: Blanket application of writing “rules”, especially “grammar rules”, particularly when done with a heavy hand. Writing is an art as well as a skill set. Learn the rules well, but art involves interpretation. Those who don’t know the difference should refer to Pet Peeve #1.

Pet Peeve #3: Believing that your choices should be the choices of everyone. Learn to set aside your personal tastes in genre, construction etc. when editing or critiquing the work of someone else. If you can’t set them aside, then at the least make it clear upfront what your biases are.  The Insecure Writer's Support Group

I am interested in your pet peeves. Please share them in the comments below.

Save