Bad advice. At least once, we’ve all listened to it, then wished we’d spit it in a bucket somewhere on the back forty.
As serious writers, spouses, parents, or cooks, we are forever looking for ways to improve our skills and reach more hearts. We read books, attend conferences, and go on as many blogs as we can, to gobble up the best advice possible.
But sometimes we come across a bit of bad advice. If we know it’s bad, good. We can spit it out like a cow spits out the stubble, only swallowing the grain. If we’re unaware that it’s bad, then not good. We can go down a wrong path in our career or our life, or at the very least, waste precious time.
A frustrated writer once told me not to read craft books, stating that my writing was good enough, and those books would only confuse me. Had I listened to this bad advice, I would be a much poorer writer than I am today. With the help of all the craft books I’ve read in spite of that poor advice, I believe my writing is improving every time I sit down to type, or get out my journal to muse. Have you ever read or heard some bad advice concerning your writing, or another skill you take seriously? Did you know it was bad, or did you listen to it, later realizing it wasn’t sound? How do you sift advice to weed out the stubble from the precious grain that nourishes?
