“Do you have any writing advice?”

What: A friend asked me this question, and it's a question I've gotten often over the years. I felt like answering it this time.

Why: I've gotten some good responses to my writing on HN before, so I thought it would be well-received here.

Here's a TL;DR:

If you're a casual writer, the most important thing you need to know that will dramatically improve your writing is to be INCREDIBLY clear about PRECISELY what you are trying to say. The best way to do this is to explain it to a smart friend. "I'm trying to write a piece about X. I want readers to understand that..."

Beyond that, if you want to take writing very seriously (over decades), I recommend...

1. Make sure you read stuff that you enjoy (rather than force yourself to read what you think is "important"),

2. Measure your progress by raw volume of output.

3. Let go of the perfectionistic death wish of writing "well"– acknowledge that you will suck, and make your peace with it.

4. Enjoy yourself (don't fall into the trap of writing for awards, Likes, etc).

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Beyond that, will be very happy to discuss anything about writing with anybody on HN who's interested in talking it!

The Art of Non-Fiction by Ayn Rand: http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Nonfiction-Writers-Readers/dp/...

"Culled from sixteen informal lectures Ayn Rand delivered to a select audience in the late 1960s, this remarkable work offers indispensable guidance to the aspiring writer of nonfiction while providing readers with a fascinating discourse on art and creation."