Goodreads asked Marc Swift:

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Marc Swift I could do a seminar on that! To start with I would say, just write. Write. Don't think ahead of time. Just write. Make time and do it. Your passion will energize you, and it will overflow into your whole life. Keep a small notebook in your pocket and a pen and write down ideas when they come to you right away, using the precise words--not just the general thought. You need an angle. You are at an arena. What entrance are you entering by? AA, AB, CC, FF, RR? You need a tone, a rhythm, a cadence. Sometimes starting off in the style of a writer you like can set your pace and off you go. You need a purpose: ultimately you are writing to...heal, to guide, to encourage...Be very honest with yourself on this one, because unless it is very personal you are trying to write instead of writing and discovering and being surprised by the power of something you've written.

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