I used to do kung fu about 15 years ago, when I was in college. It taught me a number of lessons that I fought against. one of the most important was about diligence.
My Shih Fu told me the simple truth about getting good at kung fu: practice a technique ten thousand times, and practice it consistently for ten years, and you will have mastered it. Don't, and you won't.
The same thing goes for just about anything. Want to be a master electrician? Do it for ten years. Want to be able to cook like Julia Childs? Ten years. Want to play guitar like Alex Lifeson? Yup--ten years.
Writing is the same way. If you want to master the craft of writing, your writing kung fu must be strong. Train like you would train for a fight. If you are diligent you will thrive. There are so many techniques in writing--outlining, pacing, editing, dialogue, character development--and you have to practice each one diligently.
Every day.
Ten thousand times.
Ten years.
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