This was a beautiful read, @patjewell. Thank you for compiling this for newbies and other writers like myself who might have lost their way somehow.

Sincerely, we write better when we are in a better state of mind. Readers see it in the way we organise our thoughts, stay focused and infuse light humour.

I used to write well myself. But gradually self-doubt began to set in. I'm going to give it a try once more. I feel so armed to the tooth with your advice. I'm sharing this post with my support group immediately.