Wednesday 5 June 2013

The Artist Unleashed: MISTAKES: NEVER BE WITHOUT THEM, by Mary Maddox

The Artist Unleashed posts have moved to a new domain. Please click HERE to read the rest of this post and for the opportunity to comment. Just search for the title of the post in the search bar on the new site.

18 comments:

  1. Brave post, Mary - thanks for sharing it! I'm sure we've all felt tempted to publish in revenge. I'm extremely thankful for the opportunities we have now - but if I'd had them 20 years ago I would have gone badly wrong...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Roz. I feel lucky to have these opportunities, too.

      Delete
  2. Great advice! Mistakes are the best way to learn.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great post! It's super brave of you to share the mistakes you've made, not to mention facing them.
    Though adult language and graphic violence is certainly prevalent in the YA i read!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sarah. You're right about the violence and harsh language in some YA fiction. I guess there comes a point where it gets too dark for teenagers.

      Delete
  4. Very handy and available everywhere!

    mood

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Mary--wow this was a useful post, especially since it's personal! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm happy if it helps, Christina. Might as well get as much use as possible from a mistake.

      Delete
  6. That's learning the hard way! Good tips, Mary.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you so much for sharing, Mary - we all make mistakes along the way and when we spot our own, it does alleviate the pain when we're reminded that we're not the only ones to do so! I guess the worst mistakes are the ones we never even spot...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're right, Debbie. The consequences of those mistakes just keep on coming.

      Delete
  8. Thank you Mary for telling how it really is for many of us out there, finding our feet, many of us published writers who have had to become indie publishers. My biggest mistake? Not knowing enough about the reading tastes of the market (US) I'm trying to sell in. I still haven't got that one figured... Alison LN

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alison, I haven't completely figured out the tastes of US readers either, and I live here.

      Delete
  9. Skipping an editor is the one I see the most. (Although there are some really bad covers out there, too.) The writer usually claims he or she can't afford it, but in reality, a writer can't afford not to hire an editor. You only get one shot at establishing a name and reputation.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I disagree that you only get one shot. Nothing in life -- except death -- is that absolute. The notion of getting just one shot can make people afraid to risk the mistakes from which they learn. It also implies that the only response to failure is to give up. Of course you can try again. If you truly believe your name is hopelessly sullied by a bad book, you can always use a pen name.

      Delete

“I'm using my art to comment on what I see. You don't have to agree with it.” ~John Mellencamp

“Allowing an unimportant mistake to pass without comment is a wonderful social grace” ~Judith S. Marin

“I don't ever try to make a serious social comment.” ~Paul McCartney

“I'd make a comment at a meeting and nobody would even acknowledge me. Then some man would say the same thing and they'd all nod.” ~Charlotte Bunch

“Probably what my comment meant was that I don't care about the circumstances if I can tell the truth.” ~Sally Kirkland

“We're not going to pay attention to the silliness and the petty comments. And quite frankly, women have joined me in this effort, and so it's not about appearances. It's about effectiveness.” ~Katherine Harris