Kerry Hannon: Be Curious, Stretch to Learn New Subjects

Write every day. Take assignments that push you outside your comfort zone. Be curious. Stretch to learn new subjects.

Meet people in person for interviews whenever you can. Phone and email lose something in translation.

Don't worry too much about the pay, if possible. It’s the discipline, practice and experience that you’re working for in those early stages. Seek out a variety of editors to work with who can help you hone your craft.

Importantly, when it comes to the actual writing process, just write that first draft. It doesn’t have to be perfect, or even close to it. Just do it. The next step-editing and smoothing is simple mechanics. Your heart is in that first draft no matter how bad it is. That’s the joy of writing.

Trust that it’s all there…and then bring out the paring knife and step away. You have to be heartless now, but the personal piece is behind you. Now you’re the reader, not the writer.

Kerry Hannon