Goodreads asked C.P. Cabaniss:

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

C.P. Cabaniss Write a lot and read a lot. To be a writer you need to be a reader. The more you read, the better your own writing will become. Take notes as you go, highlighting what you think does or does not work in telling a story, and allow all of this to shape your writing. If you particularly like the way one writer develops characters, try to pinpoint what in their writing makes the characters so great. Same thing for world building or any other aspect of a book that you find particularly good. Dig in until you discover what, exactly, speaks to you in the way that writer develops their story.

But don't just read. You need to write as well. Get your ideas down on paper. An idea in your mind is great, but it can never truly develop. It's only through writing that you can really discover the story you want to tell. So write. And don't worry about what someone else might think about your writing. Nothing is perfect, not everyone likes the same things, and as long as you're happy it doesn't matter what someone else might think. Take advice from other writers and readers, but don't let that advice dictate the direction your writing takes. This is your story, tell it how you think it should be told.

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