The fact that I have some very bad writing habits is a secret we must keep from literary agents, or else I'll never convince them of my impressive abilities. But, the truth of the matter is that I constantly allow some very naughty sheep to run amuck in the pasture of my story-telling. If you promise to keep this between us, I'll introduce you to a few of these embarrassing tendencies.
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If I may: A novel is to a short story as a park is to a patio garden. In a park, the grand, old trees are pruned once a year, and the roads are regularly kept clear and smooth. But in a small garden, each spent flower is meticulously collected, and each delicate herb is carefully watered. It's a whole different ballgame (to mix metaphors).
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The characters we read and watch as children become our heroes. The heroes for teens today tend to appeal to every part of the teenaged experience that should be tempered: dictatorship of emotions, the lure of "forbidden love", violence in the face of oppression, tendency toward wrath ... I could go on.
If you are a parent or a concerned teacher (as I was when I decided to write a book), here is a handy guide that will help you distinguish which stories are harmful to your child's moral development and which are helpful.
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Some people write for years and years making the same mistakes.
The mature writer takes a good, hard look at her writing and identifies the weaknesses. The immature writer fights to the death for every word she wrote as though it was inspired scripture. The latter might die with all her self-confidence in tact, but she won't die a better writer.
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