Rule #3 For Writing

An examination of my 10 rules of writing one at a time.

Rule #3: Find someone to read your writing who is NOT a writer.

My training as a long distance runner is primarily solo. My running career started with runs on the treadmill. Eventually after 8 months I joined a running group. The group gave me perspective about how fast I was running and how many miles a week I ran compared to other runners similar to me. It was not a judgment just a reality and perspective check.

Writing can be the same way. Writing is a solitary act but we need to share our writing. Writers need community.

I have a beta reader who is a voracious reader. She is happy to read anything no matter what draft version. She tells me where the flow stops or where things don’t seem quite right. She has no clue how to fix nor would she suggest it, for she will tell you herself she is not a writer. I write to please her.

I have my writer community but the lens through which they read is different. Critique groups are different also. Writers like to talk about the process and how pieces fit together. The conversation surrounding the stories are slightly different.

Another important reader is you. Our writing needs to please us first or frankly — WHY WRITE? Read your work aloud to…