You have probably noticed that there are lots of people giving advice about writing. There are almost as many people writing books about writing as there are people writing books about other topics.

In fact, there is an entire industry devoted to teaching people how to write. Which is all good, except that it can be very confusing at times.

If you read, watch, or listen to enough writing teachers, you will end up feeling paralyzed because you don’t know what to do. This expert says to do it one way, another one says something different, and five other experts give completely different advice.

The truth is that there are a million ways to do just about anything in the writing world. If one of your heroes or mentors says there is only one way to accomplish your goal, proceed with caution.

The key is to figure out your next step, then take action. It’s always better to take imperfect action and make some progress than it is to have a perfect plan in your head but never do anything. That is a great way to stay stuck.

Carl Sandburg once said, “Beware of advice—even this.” So when you hear advice about writing, including what I’m sharing right now, don’t take it as gospel. But the one thing you DO need to take is the next step toward your writing goal, whatever that may be.