Writing is like any art form.

Lots of people do it badly, a few do it pretty well, and a very select few are masters of the art.

But making money at it and becoming famous for it are different circles in the Venn diagram from being good at it. It takes some level of skill, business acumen and luck to be successful at all three.

Some people are natural storytellers but can’t write a clear sentence. Other people know the meaning of all their words and how they interact, but can’t hold a reader’s attention.

Popular writing styles change over time. What you like and what popular culture prefers may vary immensely. Be humble, open to criticism, but find out what YOU value about your writing as well — it’s what makes it unmistakably yours and not somebody else’s.

People like flowers, but part of the beauty in flowers is that they’re all flawed. Same goes for vocal musicians. And the same goes for writing. You need to be self aware enough to realize what your weaknesses are in writing and use them as a tool to shape what you write.