How to Be a Good Writer in 12 Steps

1. Honor yourself as an artist

Call yourself a writer and gently insist that others respect that. It’s not likely to happen otherwise.

2. Embrace your weirdness

Your quirks give you a unique vantage point from which to observe the world. Encourage the healthy ones.

3. Find the time, space, and routine that works best for you

Everyone is different, and finding when, where, and how you can be the most productive is one of your first challenges.

4. Get quiet. Listen. Observe. Question, “what if?”

Writers see what others miss. Write what you feel strongly about. Try meditation. Then let your imagination fly. Creating is divine.

5. Read, read, read. Write, write, write.

Children’s author Richard Peck said, “Only a reader ever became a writer.” And writing for publication is no different than perfecting a musical instrument to the point you’re paid for playing it. Practice, practice, practice. Study. Take courses.

6. Take notes

You will get ideas at the most inconvenient times. Don’t let those ideas vanish into the ether (they will if you don’t record them). Also, benign eavesdropping and observation of our species can provide much usable material.

7. Tell your inner critic you’ll get her opinion later. Then don’t.

We all have one. Some of them are strong and vicious. They have their reasons, but to create you must figure out a way to silence them—at least until later in the writing process. Trickery may be called for.

8. Write as though your mom will never read it

Some of us abhor telling our real truth, for fear that those we know and love will be____(shocked, hurt, outraged, etc.). And love us less. Tell it anyway and keep it to yourself for now. Chances are very good that by the time a loved one sees your story, many drafts down the road, they won’t be upset at all. More likely proud.

Or maybe not.

9. Learn to solicit good constructive criticism

We lack perspective on our own writing—thinking it paradoxically both better and worse than it likely is. Few things are more valuable to a writer than readers/editors who have a clue and can see in your writing/story what you cannot.

10. Learn to apply constructive criticism that you know deep down is right

Put ego aside. Listen to your instincts when a reader you trust has found something in your writing that you can improve. Your goal should always be the strongest draft that you can produce. Also, know when to discard feedback that doesn’t resonate.

11. Tell the truth. Your truth.

Good writing is deep-down honest. It’s hard to do. It makes us feel vulnerable. Fear is a powerful preventative. But try anyway. And try again.

12. Never. Give. Up.

Stay the course. There is a story that only you can tell. If you do it well, you will touch many readers. And that’s worth being a good writer and working for.