Goodreads asked Phyllis T. Smith:

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Phyllis T. Smith I strongly advise getting in a writers’ critique group. If attending a group in person isn’t an option, you can find one online. It is great if group members have skills they can teach you—for example, I learned a lot from a member of one of my groups (I now have two) who worked as a newspaper editor and is a genius at tightening copy. It’s important just to get feedback. Writing is communication. The novel in your head may be wonderful, but did you get it down on paper? Do people read your words as you intended them? You need other eyes to correct for any blind spots you may have.

Also, if you are just starting out, expect to spend some time learning your craft. Maybe there are a few people who automatically grasp all the essentials of novel structure because they read a lot. But I had to take a lot of writing workshops and read numerous books on craft before I was ready to publish. There are things that you just need to learn. The good part: they aren’t all that hard to learn, if you put in the time.

Final bit of advice: Persist. Set aside time for writing and for reading and learning, and hang in there. My theory is that a lot of what is called talent is actually just having a strong desire to be a writer, the kind of desire that keeps you working at it. (And if you love writing, you keep working and trying to get better with each book you publish.)

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