Advice for Writers

There seems to be a real demand for concrete tips and tools for new and improving writers.  I visit the author streams over at Reddit a lot and it seems to be a fairly consistent theme there.  So, here's my collection, cut and pasted from my comments over there:

1. Practice. For the love of [insert holy figure here], practice. Write lots of garbage. Nothing starts out as perfect prose. The best stories, articles, etc. begin as absolute crap. They are then edited to as near perfection as possible.
2. Edit. Proofread until your eyes hurt. Then do it again. Then give your work to someone else to tear apart. You don't know what you don't know - another set of eyes will catch all the little details and inconsistencies you miss. As much as practice will make you better, so will having your best words cut to shreds.
3. Read. A lot. And not just in the genre you like. Pick up books that cover all sorts of styles and subjects. Look at how different authors put together their stories. See if there are things you can take from others that work well with your own style.
4. Research. If you don't know what you're talking about, people will notice. Look up your subject matter. Geography, history, culture, technology, etc. - if you are writing fiction or non-fiction, all of these are relevant. You are trying to place your readers in the world you've created. It has to be believable. Or believable enough to suspend disbelief.
5. Be humble. You are not and will never be the one all, be all of writing. You are a single voice among many. There's no reason you have to be better than everyone else. Whatever your motivation is, just do your honest best to tell your stories.
6. If you ask someone for help, take the help they give. Don't argue with them or take it personally when they don't rave about how great your work is. Reading is subjective - so is enjoyment. Accept praise and criticism equally, although you'll likely find criticism is more valuable in the long run. Be thoughtful in your responses, whether you agree or not.
7. Get used to disappointment. Rejection is part of being a professional writer. Unless you have contacts in the business or hit the idea/exposure lottery, creating a portfolio is going to be a slog. Look at me - I've been writing for twenty years and still don't have a single sale.
8. Never give up. Just because you haven't sold a work doesn't mean you can't. Publishers have missed a ton of incredible stories over the years. They've also published crap. Editors are looking for something that will sell, but it's still a guessing game.
9. Advertise yourself. Get your profile out there - have an online presence and do your best to update regularly. Raising your visibility, even a little bit, will help you in the long run.
10. Investigate self-publishing and traditional markets. Both have their place, advantages and disadvantages. If you want to be traditionally published, keep self-publishing in your back pocket. Sometimes that's how you get noticed.
11. Finally, everyone has an opinion and a piece of advice.  You have to decide if it's good or not.
    
    Well, there it is - my list.  Did I miss anything?  Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below.
    
    And as always, thanks for reading!