When I first drafted Warden’s Reign, I did it on my own. Sure, I had a few family members or close friends read a scene or two, or I’d bounce ideas off them, but the majority of my growth as a writer came when I sought advice from other writers.
There are many opportunities to find outside help. I attend writing groups weekly which I found over the Meetup app. If you are an aspiring writer/author, I highly suggest finding a group of writers to look over your piece. Check if there’s a writing critique group near you.
Local libraries are great sources for writers. Sometimes they have ‘writers in residence’ in which established authors make themselves available to the public and work one on one with you to go over anything from chapter one of you book, a short story, query letter advice, to suggestions on which agents and publishers to submit. Often times, these authors in residency will also hold lectures on a range of topics from self-publishing and marketing to how-to’s on writing action scenes or developing plot and characters.
It took me a long while to build up the courage to put my work and story out there. Once I did, though, the change in my writing proved invaluable. Develop relationships with other writers. Be open to critique. Embrace change. It will only make you a better story teller.
A few places to look for writing groups:
Meetup
Libraries
Book stores