Writing your own goddamn stories isn't enough if you are serious about getting better

Hello. I have been lurking for a while now, and have seen many writing advice here, so I decided to share some of my own.<br><br>I am currently a college student in the field of creative writing, specifically fiction. I have learned how to write fiction from a professional, and the majority of college students studying the subject want to become writers. This gives me a unique perspective on what makes good and bad writers, and I'm going to talk about a topic that isn't discussed here often enough.<br><br>You know how writing advice often tells you to write often and read a lot? This is true, but it's also the bare minimum, and if you want to make it big you need to be conscious of yourself as a writer. Many assume that since you are already writing, you are automatically a good writer, but these people are wrong.<br><br>Being a “good” writer isn’t good enough in the modern era. You need to be a better writer than the competition, and writing your own stories doesn’t cut it if you’re serious about getting better. You need to be willing to put yourself out there, and that means writing for other people.<br><br>Collaborate. Do yourself a favor and find other writers. These can be online, in writing groups, or your writing class. Having other writers around you will help you improve your writing skills, and this is true of any form of writing. You need to be able to communicate with other writers, and this is often hard for introverts like myself. One of my classmates is very introverted, and he admitted that he struggles to talk to people, but he is willing to work on it. Don’t be afraid to share your writing with others.<br><br>Edit. You need to be willing to edit other people’s work. When you are given other people’s work to edit, do it professionally. The other person deserves the same that you would want them to do to you. Being an editor is also a job in the Real World, so having editing skills will help you if you ever decide to go that route. As a writer, you should be able to edit and get feedback on your work. This is a Skill that is needed if you ever plan on getting published and want control over your published work. You should be able to get feedback from people who don’t like you, and be willing to make changes in your work. Listen to feedback from readers, be it positive or negative.<br><br>Co-write. Co-writing is a very important, and often overlooked, skill to have as a writer. Writing with someone else is vastly different from writing alone, and it is something that you will likely need to do someday. Back to college, I have had to do multiple co-writing projects. One of the first things you learn in a co-writing project is communication. You and your partners need to be able to sit and talk about your story, your characters, and your process. Co-writing is also different from editing because you are writing with people from the beginning, and have your own writing style to throw into the mix. It is hard at first, but trust me when I say that it is a good experience. Co-writing will also help you become a more social person. I was a very introverted person before college, and now I am going to go to grad school. All I do is talk to people now. It has also helped me to become more confident. Co-writing can also lead to you getting published. If you co-write a story with someone, it can be used as a writing sample when you apply to be published.<br><br>When I was in high school, I joined NaNoWriMo. I wrote the first two drafts of my story, and then I stopped. I showed my story to my parents and a few friends, but that was it. I never let it see the light of day. I never shared it with anyone else, I never edited it, and I certainly never co-wrote. I didn’t take writing seriously, and as a result my story, and my writing skills, suffered. Do not make my mistake if you are really trying to become a published author.