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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ragboy" data-source="post: 2274860" data-attributes="member: 4151">All of this is good advice. I'll add a couple of things I've found that help me:  - Have a group of reviewers give you detailed feedback, not just one. When you have five people telling you that certain scenes, characters, or situations are not working, it means a lot more than a handful of random problems from a single person.  - When you proofread, read your work out loud to yourself. This seems silly, but you'll catch a lot of awkward language this way, and tense/POV shifts will be much more apparent. This also helps me when I get feedback like: "All your characters sound like the same person."  - If you're just writing for ENWorld story hours, I wouldn't put a lot of time into reading books on the craft (though On Writing is an entertaining read whether you're a writer/aspiring writer or not).  - If you're looking to move into professional writing, here are the things that helped me (as well as most of what's been suggested previously): <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Take a writing workshop class/group - This type of class or group is not a 'how to write class' but a roundtable where aspiring and professional writers review each other's work. You get more honest feedback from people you're not emotionally tied to (usually).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Finish every story you start - The more painful this process is the better. If you've written yourself into a corner, keep plugging away until you can call the story done. The painful experience will pay off.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Try different methods - There are a thousand 'story crafting' methods out there. Try several of them. Try more than one on the same story. Make up your own. Experiment. Try writing at different hours, in different places, and under different conditions. I wrote one story long-hand, and it helped me develop a better editing style, and now I won't use a computer on my first draft. (when I write only on the computer, it's much more difficult for me to effectively edit).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Send it in - When you've written, edited, incorporated feedback, and written again, send it to a publisher. <a href="http://www.ralan.com/" target="_blank">Ralan.com </a>is a great source for F/SF/H/Humor publishers. There are others. You need those rejection notices to make you better. And if you keep it up, you will be published.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">(Edit - Forgot one!) Advice that I got from On Writing that has paid off: Don't just read the 'good' stuff. Read bad writing at least as much as you read flawless writing. Bad writing teaches you by example what you're not supposed to do...</li> </ul></blockquote>

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