Goodreads asked William Sharp:

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

William Sharp Collect words and phrases -- listen to and remember how people speak, and interesting ways to describe common things. Learn and follow the rules of grammar, punctuation, and correct spelling. An author who knows these may deviate from them when the situation demands. One who does not know these will have difficulty convincing others to trust his ability to tell a satisfying story. Finally, divide your proofreading by different "targets:" Read once for continuity and consistency, once for typos/spelling errors, and once for overall plot, identifying in-artful phrasing, thin settings and characters, and poorly paced passages.

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