SIR JOHN'S BLOG FEATURING INTERNATIONAL BEST SELLING AUTHOR JOHNNY RAY

Finding a mentor
I have always been of the opinion that to become the best in any field you have to find the greatest person in that field and learn from them. This has been true in the past of almost all great people in any field. They all had someone to help them develop. Writing is no different. A great mentor will help you develop your voice, your style and not be concerned with the rules that hold down many emerging writers.

The great thing about writing is that there are so many writers wanting to help others along. All writers want to be better and know it helps to receive others opinions. They also know to take all advice for what it is--one person point of view. But, when that advice is repeated over and over it starts sinking in--which can be good or bad.

What is tragic is that sometimes a great writer forgets what makes him special--his own special voice. From reading much more than I want to admit I have noticed that new writers follow rules that are imposed on them in order to become published. As time passes and they can stand on their own, so to speak, they relax the rules and reestablish their style. This is when they become great writers. They write for the reader and not for the rules imposed by some writers and editors.

If I had a choice, I would prefer a writer allowed to express the feeling in a story in his own unique voice to one that is written perfectly according to grammarians and other word controlling elitist. And this is why I think finding the right mentor that has made it pass the control of such is so important.

However, this is my opinion, what is yours?

Johnny Ray
http://www.sirjohn.org/bloglist