On the Value of Free Advice

On the Value of Free Advice As a writer I get a steady stream of free advice from individuals who apparently understand my life far better than I. These individuals are mostly strangers, people who contact me Sometimes I get advice And do I heed their advice? Not yet. Probably never. For a writer to heed every little bit of advice she receives, whether from strangers, friends, or even family, is deadly. Writers must learn to eventually heed no advice but that of their own instincts. The marketplace will be the final barometer of how sound those instincts are. And that is the only barometer a writer needs. Martin Seligman, director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Positive Psychology Center, and developer of such concepts as learned helplessness, learned optimism, and authentic happiness, cautions that the only people worth taking advice from are those who have already achieved success in the area in which you aspire to be successful, and who are recognized as experts in their field. To give credence to all the non-experts would be like hiring a carpenter who has never pounded a nail, but has read a few books about how to pound a nail properly, to build your dream house. Or to have your appendix removed As a writer, editor, and writing mentor for the past thirty years, I encourage all my students and clients to adopt this same practice of ignoring the opinions of those who have not demonstrated that they know more about what constitutes good writing than they do. Such proof is not in any way related to the number of advanced degrees the individual holds, but to the success of one’s publications in the marketplace. Back when I was still an aspiring writer, a man I looked up to suggested that my goal of being a writer was unrealistic for someone from the coal fields of rural Pennsylvania. When I wrote my third book, my first literary mystery, I was advised As an aspiring writer, there will always be naysayers eager to deter you. Sometimes they mean well and sometimes they don’t. Does that make a difference in how you should respond? When it comes to free advice, I prefer to remember the words of my very practical father: You get what you pay for. *** Randall Silviss many literary awards include the Drue Heinz Literature Prize, two fellowships from the NEA, a Fulbright Senior Scholar Research Award, and a Doctor of Letters degree bestowed for distinguished literary achievement. His 15th book, the novel Blood Ink, was recently declared a Kindle Scout winner and is available through Amazon. In addition to his novels, screenplays, and essays, he co-hosts a popular weekly podcast at TheWritersHangout.com, and teaches in the Seton Hill University MFA Program. His website can be found at randallsilvis.com. To sign up for Randall’s free monthly newsletter, which includes info about his work and news of interest to writers, send an email to silvisrandall@gmail.com with SUBSCRIBE in the subject box.