When attending a conference, class, or seminar, I’ve disciplined myself over the years to not only take notes but also turn what I learn into action items. I’ll jot down something from the presenter, then create an action point and circle it in my notes so I don’t forget.
Once in a while, I’ll even put something down that I need to stop doing. In a similar vein, fellow agent Bob Hostetler wrote this blog post in 2019 on things to stop doing as a writer.
Taking action to stop doing something is difficult. It includes an admission that you’ve been doing something wrong, which is unnatural for anyone. After all, why would I knowingly do something that isn’t the right thing to do?
For any level of author, here is my list of things to stop doing that hopefully won’t be too difficult to swallow if they pertain to you:
Looking for Shortcuts
In general, some people attend writers conferences and their accompanying workshops and sessions, looking for quick and easy ways to navigate the world of book publishing. Looking for shortcuts in just about anything will only lead to more disappointments than usual, not easy solutions. Sure, there are time-saving ways to do many tasks these days, but book writing is not fast, easy, or devoid of challenges to overcome. In publishing, the road less traveled leads to nowhere.
Avoiding Platform Building
This item is a subset of the previous one, but one that deserves its own cautionary tale. Those who skip this usually think that, even though all the indicators suggest platform-less authors have a much harder road to successful publication, they are willing to bypass it and try to make it work as a publicly unknown person with few connections. This is a big mistake.
Not Writing Consistently
Any author should have a folder filled with other things they have written. Poetry, devotionals, short stories, tributes to people they know, letters, thoughts on important events, or other books, whether they be finished or in process. Like any endeavor, a writer’s work improves the more they write.
Skipping Learning Altogether (Conferences, Groups)
Ongoing, lifelong learning is a major pivot point to not only growth in life, but improvement in your work. The minute you stop pushing yourself to learn new things, you will eventually begin to forget the former things you learned and regress in all areas of life (even physically). This could be the most important lesson for writers.
Disengaging From Other Writers
Many writers are introverts, so this can be an issue that creeps up on you when your world becomes smaller and smaller. Without overspiritualizing this, Scripture urges us not to avoid assembling together (Hebrews 10:25). I believe this applies to Christian writers as well; they always need encouragement and support from others to keep moving forward in their ministry of the written word.
Sometimes it is simpler to make a list of things to do than things to avoid. The entire list above could be categorized as taking the easy route, even though almost every well-developed skill or gift comes from pressing forward consistently.
