Don’t be a Perfectionist & Other Advice for Young Writers with Millie Florence

Meet Millie Florence

Millie Florence is an enthusiastic homeschooler and a published author – and she’s only 14-years-old! Her debut novel, Honey Butter, was published in August 2017, and she’s currently working on two more books: a collection of poems and a fantasy novel.

Participating in National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, was a life-changing experience for Millie. It gave her permission to write the first draft of her novel without worrying about perfection, and that’s an incredibly freeing.

Listen to the Podcast

Show Notes

Millie’s Tips for Young Writers

  • The most important part of writing is getting the words out of your head and onto paper.
  • A lot (if not most) of what you write will get left on the cutting room floor.
  • Although revision isn’t always the most exciting part of writing, it’s necessary and it’s where a story comes together – and that can be really satisfying!
  • Feedback is critical. Millie solicits feedback from beta readers, who are other writers and friends willing to provide constructive criticism. She actually finds many of her beta readers online, and she says beta reading with people you don’t know as well “will change your life and will change your story.”
  • It took Millie a long time to find a supportive community of young writers, but she eventually stumbled onto a strong community of diverse writers.
  • Homeschooling can give young writers unprecedented freedom to write when inspiration strikes and focus their education on other things that benefit their writing.
  • If you want to get better at writing, you just have to keep doing it – even if you don’t realize it, you’re always getting better.
  • Think about stories! Don’t be afraid to dream, wonder, or come up with wild ideas. “Your mind is more powerful than you can imagine. You can affect so much of the world around you just by thinking. Your own thoughts can teach you, without you even realizing!”
Millie Florence

Resources

Connect with Julie

Brave Writer Podcast

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