Harry Bingham
Hmm, well I wrote a book on this, so if you want a full answer you might want to take a look. But - short answer - three things:
A) Make sure you have a stunning idea. If you don't have a really strong central concept, then good/excellent execution won't save you. Get the central idea right FIRST.
B) Work damn hard. Almost all successful writers are obsessive perfectionists. That doesn't make us wonderful humans, but it IS an advantage in a very competitive business.
C) You are there to please the reader not yourself. Keep the reader in mind at all times. Is the plot moving at the right speed? Is your text clear? Does the chapter feel atmospheric. Being able to maintain a reader's eye view is almost the essential skill when it comes to self-editing your work.
A) Make sure you have a stunning idea. If you don't have a really strong central concept, then good/excellent execution won't save you. Get the central idea right FIRST.
B) Work damn hard. Almost all successful writers are obsessive perfectionists. That doesn't make us wonderful humans, but it IS an advantage in a very competitive business.
C) You are there to please the reader not yourself. Keep the reader in mind at all times. Is the plot moving at the right speed? Is your text clear? Does the chapter feel atmospheric. Being able to maintain a reader's eye view is almost the essential skill when it comes to self-editing your work.
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