Alyssa Palombo
1.) Read in all genres, not just the one you hope to write in (though I hope it goes without saying that you should read very widely in the genre you yourself write).
2.) If you want to be a writer, start now, today, and get in the habit of making time in your day to devote to writing. I think a lot of people put off starting a writing project because they think a day will come when they'll have a lot of extra time to get started. This day will never come; there will always be something to fill your time, and so if writing is important to you and is something you want to pursue, the perfect moment is now.
3.) Find some critique partners (or even just one!) who gets your work and whose feedback you really trust. Having another set of eyes on your manuscript can be invaluable.
4.) Along the lines of the above, get comfortable with constructive criticism. If a critique partner/beta reader has nothing but good things to say about your work, while that may be nice to hear, it isn't really helpful. All work can be improved upon. I am personally very excited when I get constructive criticism from my critique partners, my agent, and my editor; I am excited to find ways to make my story better, and outside readers can often see those things in a way that the writer sometimes can't.
2.) If you want to be a writer, start now, today, and get in the habit of making time in your day to devote to writing. I think a lot of people put off starting a writing project because they think a day will come when they'll have a lot of extra time to get started. This day will never come; there will always be something to fill your time, and so if writing is important to you and is something you want to pursue, the perfect moment is now.
3.) Find some critique partners (or even just one!) who gets your work and whose feedback you really trust. Having another set of eyes on your manuscript can be invaluable.
4.) Along the lines of the above, get comfortable with constructive criticism. If a critique partner/beta reader has nothing but good things to say about your work, while that may be nice to hear, it isn't really helpful. All work can be improved upon. I am personally very excited when I get constructive criticism from my critique partners, my agent, and my editor; I am excited to find ways to make my story better, and outside readers can often see those things in a way that the writer sometimes can't.
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