Goodreads asked Marco Ocram:

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Marco Ocram Get a good deodorant. Sorry, I thought that said perspiring writers.

My advice, which I offer with no warranties implied and no liabilities accepted, is to:

Write what you enjoy reading.

Become technically proficient. Would you enjoy watching a movie in which the scenes were out of focus, the cameraperson's thumb obliterated the picture, the heads of the actors were cropped off, the sound-track was out of synch, the camera-shake made you sea-sick, the dialogue was unbelievable, the contrast and colour balance meant you couldn't make-out what you were looking at, and so on? Of course not- you expect movie-makers to have mastered the skills required to avoid such mistakes. It's the same with writing.

Become a free beta-reader. Nothing, in my authoritative opinion, is a better way to learn about writing than offering to read the work of others and having to articulate your thoughts about it. There is a fantastic beta-reader group on Goodreads.

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