Goodreads asked Margaret Locke:

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Margaret Locke Write. Write, write, and write some more. Don't worry about whether it's good enough, don't worry about if someone's going to want to read it. Just write that first draft, from beginning to middle to end. There is no greater feeling than actually finishing a manuscript! (Okay, publishing a manuscript might have produced a bigger thrill in me, but hey, one step at a time.)

At the same time, read. Read, read, read. Read books in your genre. Read books out of your genre. Read craft books. Study writing. Learn as much as you can - and then remember, writers break the rules all the time. You can break them; you just have to know what they are first (I did not make that up - I'm sure I read it somewhere!).

Also, when it comes time to let others read and critique your work (and there needs come a time), remember:

1. Friends and family aren't always right.
2. Everyone who gives you an opinion is giving you their subjective opinion - some may have much more experience than you do, some may have studied craft more, but in the end, reacting to writing is by and large a subjective thing. Take what you like, whether from friends, your mom, a critique group, contest results, and leave the rest. It's your story (although if it's your professional editor talking, well, you might want to listen).
3. On the other hand, if multiple people are saying the same thing (good or something to improve), listen. You might need to address their concerns.

While it's my hope all critique is given in a constructive, positive manner, remember, if someone is unkind to you or your work, that's on them. Not you. Take what kernels you can glean from the crap, and move on. Please don't let other people stop you from writing, if writing is in your heart.

In truth, writing for the public can be brutal. Prepare yourself for it; you do need to be able to withstand people saying they don't like something in your writing, or maybe even that they don't like your whole book. (To help with this, see item 2, above.)

I say that as if I won't crumble the minute someone tears my books apart - I will, and I do.

But what I hold on to in those moments of doubt, in those moments of, "I'm no good. I can't write like this author or that writer. I'll never succeed," is, I'm writing stories I love. At the end of the day, that makes me happy.

Oh, and one final thing? Editing is crucial. No first draft is perfect. Most are far from it. That's okay. I, for one, hate the editing stage, but I realize how vital it is. You don't want to throw a lump of coal out there and try to pass it off as a diamond, right? You'll get burned. So prepare yourself mentally that whatever you're writing in that initial fit of creative ecstasy is going to need revamping, need honing, need fine-tuning (just as I've edited this answer five times, bwah ha ha!).

I'm laughing over the fact that I've written this as if I know what I'm talking about. I don't; I'm merely repeating words of wisdom I've heard from many, many other authors--the famous ones, like Stephen King and Anne Lamott, and the not-so-famous ones (at least not yet).

The long and the short of it is, write. Just write. Read. Then write. Put on repeat. And have fun!!!

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