> Writers got good ultimately by writing, not by reading books about writing or taking classes on writing. I'm not sure this is true. I've had a little success

> Writers got good ultimately by writing, not by reading books about writing or taking classes on writing. I'm not sure this is true. I've had a little success in short story writing, and have been pushing myself to get better over quite a few years now. At least for me, writing seems necessary but not sufficient. I have to: * Write * Think hard about what I write * Critique other writers * Read books by people who know the subject * Write some more The key seems to be reflecting as well as writing. It's essentially a constant struggle to improve rather than just cranking the handle. I think that's why the answer to: > Do bureaucrats after years of writing reports and instructions get better? is no. They're not striving to be better.