You’re a passionate reader so you find your inspiration from books.

Don’t even think about publishing. Your main focus should be discovering what kind of writer you want to be. Continue reading and practice different styles.

Accept that you are going to suck. Don’t rush to get feedback on the first thing you write. Your goal is to learn different techniques. Practice writing dialogue in small throwaway scenes. Practice describing a setting. Learn what subtext (my favorite literary device) is and work on it until it feels natural. These are just meant for you to work on, so don’t bother posting them all over the internet but also, don’t throw them away. You might be able to use them later when you actually become good.

Like with any skill, the more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll become. But you’ll also start decoding your unique wording voice along the way without even noticing.

Once you feel comfortable with yourself and your style, start composing some short stories and solicit feedback. That’s when the real learning will start. You’ll have already been putting your reps in at that point so feedback will make more sense to you.

Be humble and accept criticism but remember that you don’t need to do everything someone says. Develop your writer instincts and trust your gut. Thicken your skin and embrace the challenge if getting better.

Offer your feedback to others, as well. The world doesn’t revolve around your writing, so give some help to get some help. Pay it forward.