My question is, "What does it take to be a good writer?"
Everytime I write, I am always self-editing my work.
How do I, and everyone else who cares, improve my writing skills?
Well, I did some research and I came up with some helpful tips,
some of my own and others taken, with sources cited(check here).

Check it out!

1. Don't WORRY so much about making mistakes. Let it all out. A first draft is never perfect, so don't stress so much over it. Drain all the words out, then cook it into a delicious and unique meal. Don't be embarress to listen to your emotions with the writing.

2. Write what you know, of course. Don't pretend to write like someone or about something which you have absolutely NO INTEREST, or no clue what it is. Leave what you DON'T know to someone who does.

3. Search more about your idea. Don't just depend entirely on your voice, but do keep it because it will make you different from other writers. Gain more knowledge about your topic. Expand more, that is what good writers do.

4. DETAILS, DETAILS. Who doesn't love more details? But be careful about having too much details that are UNNECCESSARY and UNNEEDED.

5. Real out loud your work. By doing that it points out passages that don't make any sense and eliminate them.

6. Share your work with others. Listen to their opinion, their suggestion. Don't take their criticizism too harsh, instead twist it to your benefit by making your writing better.

7. CHECK YOUR GRAMMAR! It is possibly the most confusing and boringest subject in the English language. Yet with proper useage of grammar, it will make you a better writer and help you improve later on.

8. Revise, reword, recheck. It is very important to recheck and relook everything over. No piece of writing is too late to edit if done properly and correctly.
   • Check your writing "senses." Are you able to smell, see, feel, and hear your writing in your mind?
   • Work your details.
   • Give strong standing personalities.
   • Develop your own style-for my sake! Stand out!
   • Be simple enough to understand by various age groups.

9. Cut out the useless words that just take up space. Ask yourself, is it necessary?

10. Add humor and emotion! I love and appreciate a beautiful piece of writing with the forces to make me laugh or cry. A boring piece of work will leave me yawning and thinking I'm wasting my time.

Poetry tips:

1. Start out with brainstorming, or jotting down words about your idea or until you get an idea.

2. Write a brief sketch with no rhyme, do free verse.

3. Dive into your senses, don't lose them here.

4. Match the sound of your poem with its meaning or purpose.

5. Have a rhythm and use line breaks.

6. Compare your words with similies, metaphors, personification, etc. to bring your poem to life.