Sloppiness Sloppiness is a topic that is quite complex and multi-layered. It seems that beginning writers are quite sloppy. They want to get as much done as possible in the shortest amount of time. The bad news is that novice writers need the extra time to do their best writing. If anything, they have to slow down quite a lot. I sure wish I had known this when I first started. Like all novices, I wanted to cram as much as possible into one writing session and I wanted to get things done as quickly as possible. Every fibre of my being wanted to get my writing done quickly. And I DID do a LOT of writing. But when I went over those manuscripts and novels later, I couldn’t believe my eyes. There were just a few gems among many pages. So, that is when I decided that perhaps my time would be better served if I slowed down. I wanted to just know in my heart and soul that I was writing GOOD stuff. This, of course, meant that I ‘produced’ a lot less. However, I produced better quality manuscripts. And that is so important when you are trying to make your way and build your career as a writer. When you submit, you have to submit good quality articles and manuscripts, otherwise not only will you be rejected time and time again. You will also be leaving a bad mark and giving yourself a bad reputation. So, fellow writers, SLOW down. No matter how painful it is. You will be glad that your manuscripts aren’t littered with errors. ~ Happy Writing! ~ Irene