Writing advice and writing mantra

My writing advice to all writers it a Richard North Patterson quote that I have taped to the bottom of my computer monitor.  I don’t consciously read it every single time I look at my monitor, but subconsciously, I know it’s there and what it says. It is my constant reminder.

Writing is rewriting. A writer must learn to deepen characters, trim writing, intensify scenes. To fall in love with a first draft to the point where one cannot change it is to greatly enhance the prospects of never publishing.

My personal writing mantra is:  Anywhere, anytime, any place, but every day without fail.

This doesn’t necessarily mean something new each time I put pencil to paper or fingers to keyboard. It means rewriting, editing, revising, and writing new scenes. It means staying involved every single day with my stories. That’s why I have multiple stories going at the same time. When I’ve hit impasse on one, I have another to work on. I just keep the words flowing and at the end of the day, if I’ve written something even the dog is embarrassed to bury in the yard, I just tuck it away in a secret file as a reminder that I can do better.  

Just remember the song lyrics: Some days are diamonds, some days are stones. That’s the life of a writer. The more you write, the more you recognize the difference between diamonds and stones. When you write stones, refer back to the Patterson quote and rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. When you write diamonds, bask in the glow and revel in the moment.