Goodreads asked Alex G. Zarate:

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Alex G. Zarate My advice for aspiring writers is twofold: Read and Write. Read as much as you can. Absorb stories and pick up on how they come alive on the page, regardless of where they come from. You can hear a tale on the radio, read it at the library or hold your favorite author's book in your hands as the sun sets. Whatever provides the inspiration, fuel it and let it bring out your own words... and worlds.

Writing is the hardest part which some beginning writers do not recognize. In order to write, you must sit down, put your words to task and most importantly, get to the end. It sounds easy when you look at it from a distance but every dedicated writer knows different. When you are in the story and living the lives of each character as if they were your own, everything that follows becomes a web of worlds. You are the guardian responsible for keeping each thread connected as the story grows and the pattern takes shape. Weave with care and finish what you start.

Remember that above all else: Finish. Only after the story is done can you go back and edit. Don't stop after page one and try fixing that first paragraph. Fix when you are done. If you want to make a note, throw it into the body of the page you are writing. Don't stop the momentum. Write the tale and see it done. Editing will take up enough of your time after the end. Don't let it jump in front of the story. It will be like a road block leading you to a cliff.

Ignore that cliff and charge ahead. Your story awaits.

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