Becoming an expert, or just a better writer 
The other day, I saw a great bit of advice in a book on advanced programming by a man named Herb Sutter. No, the book isn’t mine; it belongs to a friend of mine and I just happened to be idly leafing through it.
The advice?
How do you become an expert? The answer is the same in all the fields I’ve seen: 1. Learn the basics. 2. Study the same material again — but this time, concentrate on the details you didn’t realize were important the first time around.
How can you apply that to writing?
The first point involves learning your craft: proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation. And don’t forget how to structure what you’re writing, how to do basic research, how to write a query letter, and manuscript mechanics. That takes practice, and a lot of it.
The second point, though, is a bit tougher. As I mentioned in a previous post, you need to read as much as you can no matter what type of writing you do. Look at good and bad examples of the genre to learn what works and what doesn’t. Also, think about why it doesn’t work.
On top of that, re-read what you’ve written to find any flaws in your writing. This could be poorly-formed sentences, bad turns of phrase, weak characters, or shaky arguments.
Going further
Your expertise can also be applied to the subjects about which you write. Is there a topic that you’ve researched and covered extensively? Or which you’d like to? Then there are a few possibilities to demonstrate you expertise with that subject. You might write a book, a connected series of articles, give presentations or talks, or start a blog.
Once you’re name is out there, and you’re recognized as an expert (or, at least, knowledgeable), opportunities to do any of the things that I just mentioned may come your way. And from places that you don’t expect.
So, expertise does have its rewards. If nothing else, trying all of that will help you hone and improve your writing.
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