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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/29735
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

There is only one correct way to learn how to write and that is by trying out what works best for you.

The mistake most aspiring authors make is to think that there is some kind of standard procedure and that they need to learn it, but that is not true. People are vastly different, and no two authors work exactly alike.

So really, what you need at this point in your development as a writer is the courage to invest some time into trying out different ways to write. Plot one novel and then write it. Do not plot another novel and simply begin somewhere and keep writing until you reach the end.

Writing is like any other skill. You wouldn't expect to know how to swim the first time you got in the water. You wouldn't expect to be a perfect guitarist the first time you hold an instrument in your hand. You wouldn't expect to become the CEO or the US president right after finishing high school. You will have to allow yourself a period of learning, and in writing, as anywhere else, learning involves experimenting and discarding approaches that didn't work.

Expect to write a lot of failed novels, before you find out what works and finally accomplish a successful novel.

Writing is an endurance sport.

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