"The Prime Rule"

Stephen wrote this whole book, to explain his journey as a writer and things you could maybe do better, but the best advice might have been his, "Prime Rule." It's necessary, and most important, and up until then Stephen hadn't said anything was a must. But he says that you absolutely, have to read and write-a lot.(Pg. 145)

By reading you can learn from the good, as well as bad writing. Good writing can teach you techniques, your own personal style, narration and everything else that goes along with a good paper, or book. Bad writing is like, when someone tells you too watch and learn,and then you know exactly what NOT to do. Not only that but it can also be encouraging, you know you can do better.

Practice makes perfect, and that's why writing, a lot, is the other half of the prime rule. If you write a lot, eventually you will find your writing style and such, therefor improving your skills. Besides if you want to become a writer, writing is inevitable. So this shouldn't even be a problem.

So how much is enough? Well Stephen says that it varies, but suggests 1000 words of writing a day, and around eighty books a year, and he's a slow reader. And my guess is that eventually you'll be reading and writing more, not for studying or to improve, but because you begin to like it, it becomes a routine. If you follow his Prime Rule, you will advance your writing skills, because if you can't or won't do this, then you certainly won't excel as a writer. After all, the prime rule is the most important, so it must have the most impact.