Are You Aging or Maturing as a Writer?

by Steph Beth Nickel

Last month (“Are You Aging or Maturing as a Reader?“) we discussed the choices we have as readers. Are we aging, which can be seen in the context of the challenges we face as we grow older, or are we maturing, learning from and applying what we discover with each passing year?

This month let’s ask the same question of ourselves as writers.

Below are some thoughts on what maturing as a writer could look like:

Tips for Writers

If you’ve been writing for years, I encourage you to keep at it. And if you think it’s too late to begin writing even though it’s still one of your dreams, I encourage you to pursue your goal—no mature your age.

While it’s good to expand our horizons, as loath as I am to admit it, it may be time to zero in on the one or two genres in which you would like to write and publish. This coming from an eclectically interested and eclectically involved individual . . .  <sigh>

Deciding on the genre(s) you want to focus on will increase your chances of completing and indie publishing your work or finding a traditional publisher.

Researching which publishing path you want to take will take time, but deciding which path best suits you will save time and energy in the long run. There is lots to learn whichever option you choose.

Note: The publishing path you choose for one project may not be the best for subsequent projects.

A Word of Warning

There are many individuals claiming to be experts in the writing and publishing fields. Do your homework before following anyone’s advice (especially if there is a fee involved). Sadly, there are many who are either deliberately or unintentionally doling out incomplete or entirely false information. Some even charge for services that are free, something I warned a friend about recently. I’m SO GLAD she asked my opinion before forwarding this individual $500 for something that doesn’t cost a dime.

The information we learned a decade ago, last year, or even last week, may not be particularly relevant today. Ours is a twofold responsibility: 1) keep learning and 2) recognize the fact that, at some point, we have to go ahead and press Publish or fire off our manuscript to potential agents, editors, and/or publishers. While we should expand our knowledge, we must realize publishing is in a constant state of flux.

It will be difficult for some of us to hear this, but taking into account the ever-changing writing and publishing landscape and the fact that perfection is subjective and we will never achieve it means we must muster up the courage to recognize when good enough is good enough. I recently heard that there are those who advise writers to publish their work if they consider it 70 percent of what it could be. Seventy percent!

For perfectionists, the idea of publishing at 70 or even 80 percent is inconceivable. For those of us who aren’t particularly perfectionistic, this concept may make us want to cheer.

What This Does Not Mean

Publishing a book that we feel is only at 70 percent does not mean that we shouldn’t send it to beta readers and consider their input. It doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t get our manuscript professionally edited. It doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t keep developing and applying our writing and self-editing skills.

But there comes a point when we must realize that as we learn and grow and go over our manuscript “just one more time,” the changes we might make will not make all that much difference. And if we want to publish more than one book, we have to take a deep breath and send our current work out into the world.

My take: Aging can make us more rigid, less likely to consider publishing something we feel isn’t the absolute best we can make it. While maturing is realizing perfection is not attainable and we can be a blessing to readers even if our writing isn’t flawless, whatever that means to us.

In what ways are you maturing as a writer?

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As an editor, Steph Beth Nickel has the honour of coming alongside writers to help them polish their work. As the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’s memoirs, Steph has been blessed to work with this amazing woman. And as a future self-published author, with the Lord’s help, Steph has taken brave steps toward publication.

If you would like more information about her services, you can contact her at stephbethnickelediting@gmail.com.

You’re invited to visit her website: http://stephbethnickeleditor.com/.

You can join her Editing Tips Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/418423519384351.