Advice

I always have mixed feelings about giving "advice" or feedback to young writers who already are accomplished in their craft. There's a period in artistic growth when the "student" is acting like a student longer than they should be; there's a time when you have to break away from the security blanket of "teachers" and just head into the wilderness on your own. You have to learn to be your own best/worst critic. At the same time, fresh eyes sometimes give fresh insights that can be helpful, even to a mature writer. We can get blinded by our own work by being too close to it. Hence my Cold War novel, the story strategy change I made that seemed so good at the time, elevating the story considerably, that looks like sophomoric cuteness some months later when I return to the manuscript with fresh eyes. Young writers are insecure by nature and sometimes I think the best thing a teacher can do for them, once they've reached a certain level, is to kick them in the butt and send them off on their own. The opinion of others can be helpful but it also can be a crutch.