Word count is a fickle thing. Brandon Sanderson’s Oathbringer weighs in at a hefty 460,000 words. John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is barely 30,000. There are stories across all genres that span from a few hundred to several hundred-thousand words.

It’s important for writers to remember that their audience experiences the story from the narrator’s perspective. Failing to maintain a consistent perspective is a literary form of whiplash, leaving readers confused and questioning.

"If it’s critical to the character, it’s critical to the reader, and then it’s not backstory.” - Jeff Kleinman

It all starts with that first line.

As an author, there comes a moment when you must choose if you want to monetize your art.

Creating believable worlds in fantasy or dystopian or what-have-you writing can help sell the reader on an otherwise unbelievable premise.

The lesson I most needed to learn was this: just write. It doesn’t matter how bad it is. It doesn’t matter if it makes sense the first time around. There’s a reason editing is a thing, and a reason it’s called a first draft.

Stop giving wholesale writing advice. Stop assuming you know what’s wrong with everyone’s writing.