I have this idea that if a writer is asked, "What can I do to become a good writer?" His answer will change throughout his career,.

So assuming I have a writing career or perhaps will have one day, I want to start a series of blog posts that answer that question. I'll try to do it every year or so I can see where I started, where I am, and perhaps where I'm going.

What can I do to become a good writer?

Write every day. Write about anything. Write from multiple perspectives. Practice getting inside the heads of your characters and accept their flaws. In fact, relish in their flaws because they will make your stories that much more interesting.

Read as much as you can. Pay as much attention to how the writer conveys her message as you do to what message is conveyed. Notice how the author writes and pay very much attention to what the author does not mention. Often there is as much meaning in what's not said as there is in proper dialogue.

Watch TV and Movies. In fact watch any kind of media. Each piece's writer will have distinct techniques. Pay attention to those techniques and when you tell your story use what you learn from the media to help you portray the perspective you wish to show to the reader. You have to be careful to keep your story from sounding like a script, but its very useful to have a technique for setting the scene. Being aware of media's methods helps you convey perspective and paint the scene in the reader's mind.

Develop your own voice. Your voice is the tone which presents itself through your writing. Everyone's writing is different. Voice is a signature for your writing and for you.

A lot of people spend time emulating other writers. I feel that's a bad idea. If you can pick out a writer's voice in their work, then you have enough talent to develop your own, there is no need to copy another's style.

Brian