Keep writing even if it is only short pieces, journal entries, blogging etc. See it as flexing your writing muscles ready for tackling longer works later on. When work is rejected, can you rework it and send it somewhere else? Can you turn a script into a short story or vice versa?
Rejections
Expect rejections. Expect a lot of them too! If you’re given any specific comments consider them carefully. And just because one story has been turned down for one outlet, it doesn’t mean it’ll be rejected for all of them. Sometimes rejections can be for reasons outside of your control like the outlet you target has already had stories in on your theme. If, however, you keep getting rejections on the same piece, put that work away for a while, study it again later and see if you can spot weaknesses then. A time delay like this can suddenly open your eyes to faults. And of course you’ll be working on short stories all the time so you’ve always got something to send out or out there doing the rounds!
What I Need to Watch Out for in my writing
I love writing dialogue so it can be easy to have too much of it. I know there has to be a balance between dialogue and narrative. I always overwrite (though it is easier to cut back rather than add material. You can always tell padding). Sometimes getting started is problematic. I’ve got the idea outlined, I know where I want to go with the story but choosing the correct start point can be difficult. Sometimes there is more than one start point that would be appropriate
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