I’ve been writing stories since I was a kid. I think most people who write start out quite early in life knowing they want to write, though some do come to it later. Either way, there are certain things you’ll need to learn if you want to develop an audience beyond your friends and family. But first you need something to work with, and a blank page gives you nothing, so let’s get writing.

I’ll talk more about craft later, and I’ll even dive deeper into some of the things I list below, but for now, here’s a simple set of guidelines to help you get going:

Part One: Writing

Write what you want to write the way you want to write it.

• Write as quickly as you can while ideas are flowing—don’t self-censor!
• Get it all down in a first draft before focusing on reshaping or editing.
• Don’t worry about your audience or genre as you write – just write for yourself.
• Don’t let any preconceived rules or distinctions of prose forms limit you.

Give yourself permission to write badly before you write well. Even world famous, award-winning authors write total garbage from time to time. It’s how they get better. I have this taped to my monitor:

“Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it’s the only way you can do anything really good.”

– William Faulkner

Rely on yourself to decide when the story has the right “shape” you’re looking for. This is your launching-off point.

Now you’ve got something to work with. Hopefully, you’re excited about it, because excitement will carry you through the more difficult and less exciting phase of revision and editing.

Part Two: Editing and Revising

Look at what you’ve written and decide if it works for you as is.

If it works for you, test it out on some trusted readers. If it still needs work, dive into revision.

Decide what kind of story you’re trying to write.

• Is it a traditional construction or is it something else?
• Is it plot-driven, character-driven, both, or neither?
• Does it fit within a particular genre or something broader?
• Is it theme-based, message-based, or something different?
• How should it lie on the page to make the impact you’re seeking?

Pay attention to your first and last lines. These are the hooks that keep your readers engaged.

Think about your voice. To me, voice is how your narrator speaks to your reader, which is not the same as how your main character speaks, nor how you as the author speaks—it’s somewhere in between.

• Is it your natural writing voice?
• Are you adopting a voice for this particular piece?
• Is the narrator also a character?

If writing a traditional story, focus on plot, character, and scenes.

• Does each scene move the plot forward the way it should?
• Are the characters vivid and memorable? Do they have arcs that make sense?
• Is there a clear inciting moment, character desire, conflict, and resolution?

If writing something more internal or character-driven or experimental, what is the final thought you want to leave your reader with?

Make sure you’ve used the right language for the story you’re telling. Focus on each section, then each paragraph, then each sentence, then each word.
Find a reader in your target audience and ask for feedback.

Be wary of writing workshops. They can devolve into criticism factories, geared to find fault rather than merit. They can be helpful, but they can also be confusing, frustrating, or useless. You’ll often get conflicting feedback, so you have to sort it out and decide which feedback resonates most with you—trust your own gut.

During revision, try changing the font or line spacing so you’re seeing it differently on the page. This often helps you see things you didn’t see before and can aid you in edits.

Read your work aloud. Hearing your words helps you find hiccups in language and rhythm and will help immensely with allowing your voice to come out. Reading excerpts at open mics is an excellent way to test your story and find ways to cut unnecessary words.

After deep revision and editing, decide whether the story works for you as the writer and then check that sense against a trusted reader’s feedback. If it works, send it out!

One final note: Reading deeply and widely is one of the most important ways to improve your writing. Read authors whom you aspire to write like. Try emulating their style and voice to help you hone yours. Read authors who are working in ways similar to those you want to work. Also read authors who write differently. Look at how the best of them structure their stories. Look at their use of language.

And while you’re at it, read some poetry. One of the most instructive ways of looking at language is through poetry. I read a great deal of poetry, and I write poetry too, in order to allow myself different ways of understanding narrative and imagery. One of my favorite short story writers, Stuart Dybek, said recently that he routinely reads poetry as inspiration for writing stories. His language is beautiful—haunting and memorable. It balances perfectly between the literary and literal in his gritty yet eloquent stories. There’s no question he’s an avid reader of poetry, and you should be too.

Read, write, read. Then write some more.