Goodreads asked David Farrow:

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

David Farrow First and foremost, put the pencil to the paper and just write! If you've got a story inside you, you should tell it. Don't worry about making your first draft perfect, because it never is. Don't even worry if you feel like you're missing some fundamentals of creative writing. You never get better if you don't practice, just like any skill in life.

That being said, you won't see much improvement if you're writing in a vacuum. It's important to read what other writers are putting out there, especially in the genres you prefer to work in. Try to read their stories through the lens of a writer, focusing on the craft elements they use: how do they structure dialogue? How do they employ or subvert genre tropes? How do they make characters feel complex and interesting? Most beginning writers start off by imitating the writers they admire, and there's nothing wrong with practicing another author's style until you develop your own voice. (Please don't plagiarize, however.)

It's also important to find the writing methods that work best for you. Every writer tackles their projects differently, and one writer's advice may not fit your own personal work ethic. You may find that it's more helpful for you to plot out your story in advance, working through each part of the narrative and ironing out subplots and character motivations. If so, outlines are your friend. Or you may find that you work best by just starting from page one and working out the plot as you go. You may even be a nonlinear writer who jumps around, working on whatever parts are inspiring you at that moment. There's no "one right way" to write a story, so experiment with different styles and find the method that helps you be the most productive.

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