Goodreads asked Joe Beernink:

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Joe Beernink It's okay to emulate the writers you know, and the writers you love. Don't plagiarize, but take the scene or story they have, and write it our for yourself, in your own words. This is especially true for younger writers. Figure out what you liked about the style or the story, and get your mind used to working in terms of plot and description and dialogue. It takes lots of practice to get all these mechanics right, but the more you practice, the more second-nature the basics become. Then you can focus on your style and tone and story.

Not all writing may be good writing, but it's all good practice.

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