I've read many books about writing fiction both before and after writing my first draft. I've decided that writing is like cooking. I love cooking, too. I can follow a recipe, but the best meals come from instinct. In writing fiction, I've learned the basics, at least in theory, but I've read a lot of fiction over the years, and at some point I have to trust myself: a pinch of this, a word swap there. Every draft is just another taste test.
