When you are good at doing something you’d think there is no harm in improving your abilities to get even better with it. And there are all sorts of tutorials or how to books available everywhere. Be it DIY tutorials, handy household hints, gardening advice or how to knit socks, there is something for everything under the sun, and a lot even for free.
So as a writer I’m always on the lookout for books and tips on writing since it can’t hurt to improve on the craft. And Amazon is packed with free books on that and also books in all price ranges. Some useful, others not so useful and some absolutely brilliant.
But how much improvement helps and when does it turn into hindrance or procrastination?
My first book was traditionally published and while not a bestseller it was doing reasonably well. My second book I Indie published and that one sits like lead. (Which turns out is a problem with my marketing or lack thereof. )
So, knowing my weaknesses I decided there is no harm in improving my abilities.
And as I said there are plenty books to that end. So for the last two years I’ve been forever attending webinars on writing and buying and reading countless books to that avail. And guess what? I’m mightily confused, because a lot of the books contradict each other, or aim at selling you yet another writing software (what’s wrong with open office anyway?) or useful gadget.
While doing all that I haven’t even written a single chapter in my planned novel, thinking that if I learned this bit first or plot that bit or emulate the style of I’ll be able to write the super novel in absolute record time.
But far from it. Uncertainty and madness lay this way and I found over studying has the opposite effect. Instead of finding my voice I lost it. So all my helpful books turned out to stand in my way of a finished product.
There were a few I found very helpful and those are the ones I’m sticking with now. Instead of reading a stack of books on writing I’ll get my bum in my seat and I promised myself to have a novella ready to publish by December. I can only improve on things I actually write, so that’s what I’m going to do. I’m pretty good at being Diana, so that’s what I’m doing now. Being me, and relying on the fact that nobody can write my book the way I write it.
DS Porton Books 
A little knowledge is good , but can soon smother you & hide your natural flow , your originality. It gives you doubts makes you second guess & hides what you already have .
Really to research is good you needed to sharpen up in some areas so it’s good to use books or others experiences to guide you , but not take over . Your ability is already there don’t loose that just try & enhance it , don’t loose yourself in other peoples ideals , things are not always as they seem . Start with belief structure & discipline & add to that from what you have learnt is what I think you could do xx
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