First: Always Keep Track of Your Writing
A couple years ago, I stapled pieces of paper together to make stories. Then I guess I graduated to notebooks. Now I put stuff in binders. No matter what you do, you should always keep track of your writing. If you're "right brained" like me, your bedroom is probably a mess, filled with notebooks and stapled papers and binders and whatever else you use...
Second: Plan Out What You're Going To Write
I find this especially hard... I probably sound like an English teacher (ahhh!!!) but if you're writing something big, you should probably plan out what you're going to do. If you want a helper, click here for a plot diagram thingy.
Third: Details Are Key
Make sure your writing is really detailed. Imagine your writing is a movie. What kind of music do the characters listen to? In my story Beneath the Weeping Willow Tree, the main character listens to country music. In my Series of Summers, the characters listen to oldies. Experiment! Maybe they
Four: Know Your Characters
Make sure you know know your characters well. Sometimes Robin and I do interviews with our characters. They sometimes surprise us. I never dreamed that Claire Wint's favorite ice cream flavor was Jellybean (yes, there is such a thing), or that Grace really loves the Dixie Chicks.
Five: Don't Be Afraid to Show People Your Work
Once, when I was at a craft fair, I talked to an author. I had never heard of his stories, but I read one of his picture books right there (The Dragon Can't) and it was wonderful. I asked him what advice he had for young writers, and he said that if you're afraid to show people your work now, when will you ever show people your hard work?