Post Around and Find Out!
I taught basic essay writing at the local Commie College (night class, 1 class per regular semester) for 8 years. My first bit of advice to my students was to
write - utter blather if need be, just get something on the page. It's a lot easier and far more productive to edit & rework something than it is to apply editing & reworking skilz to a blank page.
Another exercise was, once drafts were made, I put the students in groups and had them read each other's work. It was very tough for some of them, but it worked - I saw great improvements in subsequent drafts/final versions. More to the point,
they felt they benefited from outside input, comments from their peers and not just the dude who got paid to critique their work.
Edit: Another benefit was each writer got to see how other writers did it. It got them out of their own heads.
So yeah - find a crew you're
comfy ok, not terrified of - and seek commentary.
Sounds trite, I know, but many truisms spring from reality. That said, I'm no published author, of essays or fiction, so my advice is worth what ya payin' for it.
