When to listen to advice, and when to just Be You
Writing fiction is the form of art in which you put yourself on the line most. Musicians hide behind an instrument; songwriters can always say it was just bants*, Eminem being an example of such verbal contortion. An artist’s work is open to interpretation. Journalists report facts, or a version of them. Poets give us a slice of life, but it's only a slice. Even stand-ups can hide behind the need to be funny. But when you write a story, and particularly if you are arrogant**