My top ten for aspiring writers:

1) Write on a regular schedule.
2) Finish a first draft of what you write.
3) Re-write.
4) Share it with someone who reads a lot.
5) Re-write and look at plot closely
6) Re-write and look at characters closely
7) Re-read entire work, try reading parts out loud. Cats are very good listeners.
8) Finish. Say it's done. It's good enough. So many really good writers I've met in workshops, in the MFA program, never trust in themselves to say a work is finished.
9) Send it out into the world.
10) Breathe. Take a breath. Read, a lot. Take notes on what you read. Is there a word you discover? Is there a name? (I'm becoming a big collector of names). Be generous to other writers. Write a review. Try a different form, for example, write flash fiction if you write novels. Don't wait too long to return to #1...

What does your writing to-do list look like?

--Caroline

Before My Eyes