Below is some writing advice gathered by Chip MacGregor of MacGregor Literary. The listing below is from his blog. Website for the agency is http://macgregorliterary.com/.
http://chipmacgregor.typepad.com/main/2011/12/whats-the-best-writing-advice-you-ever-got-.html
December 30, 2011
What’s the best writing advice you ever got?
I’ve had several people write to share the best writing advice they’ve ever received.
Vince Zandri, who has done numerous novels and sold more than a quarter million books, wrote to me and said, “The best writing advice I ever got came from Ernest Hemingway in the form of his memoir, A Moveable Feast. If writers are worried about one thing, it’s the ability to keep a story moving from day to day. To avoid the ‘block,’ as some people call it. Papa wrote slowly and methodically in the early morning hours, and trained himself to stop at a point where he knew what was going to happen next. That way he could be sure of getting started the next day — and it left him the afternoons to play, exercise, fish, drink, or do whatever he wanted.”
Successful nonfiction writer Mel Lawrenz wrote to say, “The best advice? Take the long view. See the long process of publishing as an advantage — the stages of writing, editing, rewriting, and revising make for a more refined end product. Don’t miss the opportunity to rethink what you originally wrote.”
Harlequin author Dana Mentink sent this: “The best writing advice I got as a pre-pubbed author was that I should act like a professional. My mentor encouraged me to treat my writing like a business, not a hobby. Put in the hours, describe yourself to others as a writer, and really put yourself into the mindset of a professional. She explained to me that there’s a big difference between ‘I want to write a book’ and ‘I want to be an author.’ The latter requires professional dedication.”
Children’s author Kayleen Reusser noted, “Believe in yourself, even if no one else does. At my beginning I was the only one who believed I could write and get published. Even my mother told me I could not write — no money, no time, three small children to care for. But I swore I would die trying. (Thank goodness it has not come to that.)”
And novelist Dianne Price wrote to say, “Know your characters. LIve with them. Talk to them. Listen to their words and the cadence of their speech. Make them your constant companions. Argue with them. Commiserate with them. Ask them questions. You must know them to make them believable.”
What about you? What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever heard?
Booker's Blog 
I’ve heard losts of useful advice, though some of it too late!
Anyway: Worry not about the quality of the first draft — just get the story finished; worry somewhat about the quality of the second draft — correct the obvious errors and really think about the structure of the novel as a whole, and look for any logical inconsistences; on the third (which *should* be the last) be your harshest critic, since there’s always room for improvement.
Also, taking a month or so break between drafts can be useful. More recently, i’ve gone back over a chapter for the fourth or fifth time after thinking it was perfect.
Thank you for stopping by, and thank you for additional advice / suggestions. If others have some, I hope they will send them in.
Find a constructive criticism group or person. I’ve found that I’ve learned loads by receiving critique from my group, and I’ve also learned a lot by criticising their texts.
It is as if it is easier to see what doesn’t work in another’s text, but if you find a mistake in someone else’s text then it’s easier to find the same kind of mistake in your own.
Giving constructive criticism can be difficult at first, but after a while one learns what to look for and it gets easier.
Thank you for commenting. I agree with your comment and hope others will comment, too.