One
of the beginning writer’s greatest desires is to learn how to be a
better writer—to learn how to hone their craft. I was fortunate to
sell the first things I ever wrote. I realize now that it was
probably God’s way of keeping me interested until I realized this
was my calling, but it wasn’t as star-crossed as it sounds. I was
delighted with those early sales, but it wasn’t long before I
realized that I didn’t know what I was doing right and what I was
doing wrong. It became my heart’s desire to find someone who could
help me become a better writer—someone who would point out my
weaknesses as well as my strengths.
I
attended a big conference out of state with that goal in mind. Those
answers weren’t easy to find, and it wasn’t until I attended the
next conference that I was able to sit down with someone who could
point out those specific areas.
My
point in all this is that writing is a skill as much as a talent. I
do believe some people have an innate talent for writing, but that
talent will never reach its full potential without a lot of work and
skill-building. Over the years, I have seen a lot of very talented
writers fall by the wayside because they weren’t willing to put in
the effort it takes to be successful in this business. At the same
time, I’ve seen writers I never thought had the talent to succeed,
make a credible showing as writers because they were willing to work
hard to hone their skills.
The
question then becomes—how do we do that? Reading how-to books and blogs is one
of your first steps. Simply finding out what needs to be done and
following those steps will get you off to a good start. The initial
phase is read—read—read—write—write—write. There is
nothing that will substitute for those basic skills. Throughout such blogs and books you will find information and suggested activities that will set
you on the right road toward becoming the best writer you can be.
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