Most every author will say READ – read EVERYTHING. And that is absolutely true. Read it all. You never know what new genre or author will inspire you unless you read everything you can get your hands on. But more importantly, WRITE. For a long time, I became so obsessed with getting published that I completely neglected the craft of writing. Writing is just like every other muscle in your body – if you don’t write, you won’t get better, you won’t get stronger. Taking a writing class is an excellent way to accomplish this as you’ll be surrounded by other writers who will support you through the process, and a teacher who can guide you along the way. And when you do write, write the story that resonates with you. Everybody has a story to tell – tell your story, not what you think someone else will want to read. If you can get yourself writing regularly, in a voice that is honest and true to you, then you’ve already succeeded as a writer. 

 

Another great tip that a lot of writers do is to stop mid sentence when they're done writing for the day, instead of ending a scene and starting up again later. If you stop mid sentence, it's a lot easier to pick that momentum back up again the next time you start writing. I do this almost every time I write, and trust me, it works.

 

Once you've done all of this - FINISH it! Most everyone can start a story, but the true test of a good writer is being able to finish it. Even if the story is something that ends up buried in a file on your computer, or at the bottom of your desk drawer, there's an immense satisfaction at knowing you completed something you started.