You would be hard pressed to find a group of Canadians who know more about practicing the art, craft, business and ministry of writing in this country than the men and women who have been honoured for lifetime career achievement with The Leslie K. Tarr Award. Six of them attended the 25th Anniversary Write! Canada conference.
From left, Ray Wiseman (2009), Doug Koop, John Redekop, Audrey Dorsch, Larry Matthews, Lloyd Mackey. (Photo by Philip Maher.)
We brought them together for a photo and seized the opportunity to ask their sage advice: what’s the single most important thing beginning writers should do to advance their writing?
John H. Redekop: Before you submit your first piece for publication, have it critiqued by two close friends.
Larry Matthews: Read things that are challenging; that are difficult to understand, that use vocabulary you’re not used to. Read a lot. Don’t just read what you’re familiar with. Don’t just read what you’re comfortable with. But read things that you have to work at.
Doug Koop: Learn a little and practice a lot. Take an idea or a thought or a scene. Put it on paper and just keep redoing it to improve it, and to see it from different angles. Learn a little and practice a lot.
Audrey Dorsch: Pay attention to craft. Two reasons: writing that represents our Lord should be top notch, and competition for readers' attention is getting more intense by the day.
Lloyd Mackey: Be and feel a part of your community. Then begin to write about what you see and hear. Keep it simple, knowing in your heart that God can enable your words to help shape your listeners or readers.
Ray Wiseman: Make a point of getting to know other writers. Become part of a writing community—whether it’s a local group, I would hope it would be The Word Guild—so that you can network and learn from other writers. That’s possibly one of the best things that you can do.
***
NOTABLE QUOTES:
“This conference has been integral in my own career path for inspiration, education and contacts.”
- Krysia Lear, The Editorial Suite
***
Compiled by Patricia Paddey.
Recent Comments