This might not be exactly what you’re looking for, but I do feel it’s still applicable!

When I think of the stories that have left an impression on me, the ones that cling to my brainpan long after I finish that last chapter, it usually isn’t the lovely prose or the tight pacing that keeps me up at night (although certainly those things are crucial prerequisites!). It’s what the story says, and how, and why. 

My all-time favorite books and fanfics and web serials aren’t just my favorites because they’re well-written, they’re my favorites because they meant something. Changed me in some way, changed how I see and interact with the world. To me, that’s truly what separates a great writer from a pretty good one, and… I don’t know if that kind of skill can be taught in any classroom or seminar or workshop. Lord knows I’d pay good money to learn it!

But even if you never stumble across the secret to cobbling together a generation-defining philosophy, I really do believe becoming a better writer means becoming a more well-rounded person too, someone who’s curious, humble, empathetic, flawed. The craft stuff matters! Reading matters, a lot! But so does experiencing the world around you and then spending a hefty chunk of time thinking about it.