1. Limit "to be" verbs.
High-quality writing requires, above accuracy or activity, acuity. Frequent use of to be verbs, e.g. "The professor was tired," leads to passive writing that doesn't evoke much of an image in the reader's mind; However, "the professor slumped over like podium, crooked as the Grey Guitar," gives a visual. It may seem difficult to limit "to be" verbs at first, but once you read and re-read the piece post revision you might be surprised by improved flow minus a few "wases and weres."
2. Likewise, limit adverbs.
"The road to hell is paved with adverbs" stands out from Stephen King's "On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft." I know, I know, many published books, short stories, and poems get quite heavy-handed with the adverbs, but I promise winnowing your work is a sure way to set your pieces apart. Instead of "He ran quickly," consider "He tore" or "He sprinted." Choosing more vivid verbs will taper the need for extras and add-ons and will make your pace and structure smoother. This is not to say that adverbs, or anything else in the world of writing, are any kind of absolute. Sometimes a expertly placed adverb really enhances a sentence. Above all, treat words each word with the rarest kind of caution.
3. Get a second opinion.
While one friend may gush over every part of speech to leave your pen, another may tell you to revise or remove a section of your piece that the first friend adored. Ask more than one you trust to look over you work before submitting to a literary magazine or other avenue of publication. A variety of perspectives will help you to "kill your darlings," or even decide to keep a metaphor someone didn't receive well because of the gut feeling it gives you. Always humble yourself and keep an open mind to constructive criticism, but don't let one person dictate what your work can and can't be. Every piece of creative writing serves a different sort of purpose. Listen to and respect the voices of others, but remember that you have ultimate ownership over you words and can make the final decision on what to do with them.
4. Never, ever, ever, give up.
J.K. Rowling started the Harry Potter series by scribbling notes on dinner napkins. Dr. Seuss, the bizarre fabled hero of many childhoods, was rejected by 27 publishers before an agent agreed to take his quirky tales on. No, maybe your poems, short stories, or novels won't make you famous, but if creating them gives you joy, your voice matters. If 10 magazines reject you, send something off to 10 more. Accept rejection with as much rage as you can muster. Read everything you can get your hands on. Revise without ceasing.
Don't stop.
