I've written two novels this year. The first was about 70 000 words and from memory is in second draft form. The other is 93 000 and not quite third draft. Not a lot of time has passed between writing them. That's not even one book every six months, since I finished the latest at the end of October. I believe both had about the same writing time, though planning was different simply due to the nature of the novels (one is a vigilante story, the other is high fantasy). Yet, when I opened up the vigilante doc. yesterday I was struck by how much my writing has changed, improved, between stories.
I used to find the advice of 'write more' to be annoying, when looking for ways to become better. But here it is, the proof that it's true. Right away I could see how weak my writing was back in February this year, how much work that novel needs. Yet, my high fantasy, which I was nervous about starting as I felt I wasn't at the right level for it, is so much better.
Don't get me wrong, it's not perfect, it still needs work, but the evidence is there. The proof that my writing, your writing, can and does get better with time.
Don't be discouraged if you feel like you're not at the level you want to be at. Like everything else, writing takes practice. Look back on your previous work, and I guarantee you'll see the improvement.
