A little Writing Advice 101

You need to learn some things. Live, read, watch, think, feel and more.

 Then you need to learn writing skills--fiction writing skills. How to use language. How to create and develop characters. Create real emotion. Create conflict. Setting. Dialogue. Storytelling. There are so many skills that need to be learned that are particular to writing fiction.

And then you need to be able to execute these skills--which takes practice and time. A lot of time. A lot of failure and learning from that failure. At least it takes most of us a lot of time. There are exceptions.

You need to be able to communicate your own unique way of seeing into your writing. So important. When I pick up a book and something about it feels different and I'm attracted to that difference, I'm in heaven as a reader. I'm excited to read on, and I don't want to stop.

You need to develop your imagination.

You need to be bold and take chances.

And the rest is up to the gods-- but if you do all these things you at least put yourself in a place where you might find success--whatever that might mean to you.

Or so I think today.