Rule Number 1 - Learn To Write!

This last weekend, I was at a writer's conference and once again, got to listen to the fantastic Jane Porter speak. She spent time talking to the authors about the top ten things to be successful author. Her number one point, which I almost jumped up and down and screamed AMEN like I was at a Baptist church service was what I say all of the time.

LEARN THE CRAFT!

As she noted, while writing is a personal craft, in the end, you are writing for the reader. Your reader is spending money to buy something of quality and they expect you to produce that quality. This is where you need to take that time to learn your craft!

She spent a lot of time talking about this. She spoke of learning to pace your writing. She talked about creating characters that we can relate to. She talked about creating plots that truly tell a story. But in every case, she kept returning to the author learning how to do this effectively and how it is not just something everyone can just do. Some people can, but for many, it takes time to figure it out. 

I think what I loved the most was her constant reminder of thinking about your story as a product and putting the reader first. In fact, we had a chance before her talk to sit down for a quiet quiet chat (which is often rare) to just talk. One of the things that came up was the number of times each of us heard authors speak of writing "the stories of their heart." The authors would emphasis that this was the story "they" wanted to tell. We both agreed that while this was important, these authors often forgot that this was also a business, and in the end, if we are to sell a product, we still had to think about the consumer, and that was the reader. 

I know that I have spent so much time talking about the marketability of the product, but this weekend, we both found ourselves spending a lot of time talking about the quality of the product we are putting out. Your story can be personal, but if it is poorly written, it really doesn't matter. 

So, as you go about your writing this week, spend some time looking at what you are doing and think about the areas you could likely improve on. Now, make some plans on how you can improve on that area. 

And, as I always say. Don't rush the process. There will be time!