Writing to some can be a daunting and foreboding challenge that highlights their inadequacies and stops them before they even start. To others writing can be a pleasurable escape, a vacation into a reality that they can shape and create as they see fit. To me, it is both. Writing is a journey from the foreboding challenge to the pleasurable escape. The key is, to make this journey as less arduous as possible. Several writers and authors have written books and papers on how to write, but not all their advice applies to everyone. However there are a couple of re-occurring pieces of advice and hints that if followed would greatly improve ones writing.

Reading is an absolutely crucial element in becoming a successful writer. Joey Slingers first advice to becoming a writer is "Learn to read all over again. Learn to read for technique." Reading is gathering...