Goodreads
Goodreads asked Alka Joshi:

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Alka Joshi Take notes of things you admire like word choices or passages describing emotional upheaval, or sections that handle action well. I love to focus on gorgeous analogies, similes, and clever turns of phrase as these were the hardest to conquer when I was learning English as my second language. I actually copy entire sections I admire in other books to learn how it was done. Be prepared to revise often: writing is about re-writing. And keep this in mind always: there's no such thing as a perfect novel, so don't expect perfection in your work and you'll be a lot more productive.

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