The Skill You're Missing (Part 2)

Figuring out what needs your attention next ...

FROM MY DESK 📖

In last Friday's post, we discussed a free webinar I watched on why writers struggle to get their novels written and publishable. 

The premise sounded great, and it promised to help fix the problem. But the one thing it missed was that, while the five conditions it recommended were genuinely useful, not everyone has the financial means to access professional editors, book coaches, and courses to develop their skills.

In this post, we're going to look at how you can develop your skills when that professional support is not accessible.  Because not being able to afford professional help right now shouldn't mean you have to stop developing your skills.

Let's start with feedback. 

The webinar suggested that getting feedback from writer friends or groups at the same writing level as ourselves can actually make us worse, which is why it advocated for feedback from professionals and experts. 

I think there's an important caveat here: there is nothing inherently wrong with asking writers at the same level as you for feedback. They may not be able to help you develop your skills in the same way a more experienced writer or professional could, but they can still offer useful insights - especially when you're asking specific questions.

The webinar errs on the side of caution because its focus is deliberately building writing skills. That doesn't mean feedback from your peers has no value. 

If professional feedback isn't financially possible right now, look for writers who are further along than you.

If you're new or unpublished, perhaps there's someone in your writing group who has been published and would be willing to help. If you're already published, look for someone with more experience or a greater number of publications. 

And when you ask for feedback, be specific.

Don't just ask: 'is this a good sentence?'

Try:

'How does this sentence make you feel?'

'Did you find this sentence easy to read and understand?'

'What do you think is the main focus of this scene?'

'Did the dialogue feel natural or forced?'

And, for good measure, add 'Why' to the end of your questions.

Knowing why something works (or doesn't) is just as helpful, if not more so, than simply knowing what you're doing right.

Specificity is your biggest friend when you're trying to get feedback that actually helps you build your skills. You can also agree on a timeframe for receiving that feedback, helping to create the short feedback loops the webinar discussed.

The same principle applies to diagnosis. 

An editor can help identify problems in your manuscript, but learning to recognise those problems yourself is an incredibly valuable skill.

You can start by learning about the fundamentals of story structure and scene construction, for example.

What should a scene be doing?

Where should the conflict come from?

What creates a turning point?

How does a scene contribute to the wider story?

You can then practise looking for these elements in your own work.

This is something I encourage writers to do regardless of whether they're working with an editor. The more you understand why an editor has suggested a change, the more you're able to apply that knowledge to the rest of your manuscript.

And you don't necessarily need a Creative Writing degree or expensive course to start learning these things. There is a huge amount of useful information available online for free. 

I've learnt things from free articles and resources myself that weren't covered during my university degrees - including how to identify and construct effective scenes.

The final piece, giving yourself a roadap, is perhaps the one I find most useful as an editor. 

Don't try to fix everything at once.

If you've received feedback that your pacing, characterisation, dialogue, structure, descriptions, and worldbuilding all need work, staring at that enormous list can be paralysing.

Instead, identify the skills underneath those problems.

Which one will have the biggest impact on your manuscript?

What do you need to learn?

How can you practise it?

And how will you know when you've improved?

That's your roadmap. 

You don't have to become a better writer overnight. You just need to know what you're working on next.

This is where the webinar came full circle for me. It wasn't the right webinar for me as a writer. But as an editor, it gave me a useful framework for thinking about how writers develop their skills and, more importantly, how we can make that development feel more achievable. 

Sometimes something we read, watch, or learn won't seem like it's meant for us. That doesn't mean there's nothing useful hiding inside it. 

Sometimes you just need to sit with it for a moment and sift through the rocks and sand, because somewhere in there is usually a little bit of gold. 

EDITING TIP OF THE DAY ✍️

A client was feeling stuck in one of our recent conversations and asked me: how do I know when my manuscript is actually finished?

Here's what I told them: the answer is a frustarating one ... there will probably always be something you could change. A sentence could be tweaked, a scene could be polished, or a character could be developed just a little more. That's because editing can easily become an endless search for something to improve.

Your manuscript is finished when you've addressed the problems that matter and you're no longer making meaningful improvements, just different choices. You don't need to make it perfect. You need to know when your story is strong enough to let it go.

POSITIVE MINDSET PICK UP ✨

Your creative voice is built through repetition.

Finding your voice isn't a single breakthrough. It's the gradual result of writing, reflecting, and refining over time.

Shift your mindset to: 'my voice is something I grow into and it is mine alone.' 

If you remember just one thing from today's post, let it be this: you don't have to become a better writer all at once - identify the skill that needs your attention, practise it deliberately, and build from there.

Did this post resonate with you? If it helped you, taught you something, or even if you disagree, let me know in the comments below - I'd love to hear from you!

Every story starts with a single spark, and every writer gets stuck from time to time. Keep showing up. Keep experimenting. Keep telling the stories only you can tell.

Until next time, may your stories grow wild, your edits be kind, and your brambles always lead to somewhere worth exploring 🌿