Wow…now that sounds like a bit of a rude title! I can ensure you that it isn’t intended so! Nor do I intend, contrary to the title, to not offer you any advice in this blog post. It’s just that my advice is…well, to take your own advice.
Allow me to explain!
Through here and instagram I am a part of a truly wonderful online writer’s community. We support each other, encourage each other and, of course, advise each other. I offer genuine, and what I hope is helpful, advice to many writers, and they offer me 100% valuable advice in return. But how often do we take our own advice?
I think, as humans, we are very good at giving advice to others, from family and friends to colleagues and associates. From relationships, to finances to importance decisions we are on hand to listen and share our thoughts. Yet somehow, for many of us, we actually fail to follow that advice when it could be applied to our own lives and situations.
So, have a think about these points:
What advice do you give to others?
I had the idea for this post last week when I blogged about the reasons why writer’s should use prompts. I have used writing prompts a few times in the distant past, with much effect, which is what inspired be to begin my instagram page, offering a multitude of prompts to uninspired writers. Yet, despite my blog post…I don’t actually use prompts myself anymore. So, guess what I did this week? I took my own advice! And I had an absolutely amazing time on a piece of writing that was completely different from anything I’ve ever written before.
Perhaps you should think about what advice you give to others, and whether you actually take that advice yourself as often as you should. You may feel liberated by your own wisdom!
What do you say to others in your position?
We are our own worst critics and sometimes we can be very harsh on ourselves. We beat ourselves up for spending too much time watching TV, not getting any writing done for a week, not making a deadline. But what do you say to others in your community when they do these things? I imagine, from my experience with you all, that you comfort them. Tell them it’s okay, that they’re allowed to breathe, that sometimes things take more time than we expected. Take that advise for yourself too! Treat yourself the way you treat others; you deserve it!
I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Do you take your own advice, or are you far better at offering it out to others? Could you take your own advice more often? If you have any thoughts on this please comment below.
Until then,
Keep advising,
and keep writing.
M
x
Uninspired Writers 
i usually tell others to edit their own work. thoroughly. i didn’t on my first two books, (but i didn’t give this piece of advice back then) but now that i revise and edit – as best as i can – i always tell people to do that.
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Hi! Thank you for reading and commenting 🙂 It’s great when our experiences can not only lead us into better habits, but allow us to advise others too!
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Sometimes I practice what I preach to others, but you’re right that we often are saying, “Do as I say, not as I do.” It’s so much easier to say what needs to be done, even see what needs to be done, but still not do it. Good reminder to us all.
– Deandra
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I’m better at giving it out… I seem to think the rules don’t apply to me lol
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You are so insightful! Here’s my blind spot: I tell others not to measure their work that of other writers, but I hold myself to an impossible standard. I need to learn to just do my best and let it go at that.
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Thank you for such a lovely comment ❤
Yes, it seems you're offering wonderful advice to others, that you deserve to remember when thinking of you're own writing! 🙂 x
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Great post and so true. It’s very easy to encourage others to pick themselves up after a bad writing day or a rejection, but much harder to tell yourself the same thing. Thanks for pointing this out.
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Thank you 🙂
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