Octavia Butler

Octavia Butler wrote some of the most beautiful science fiction I have ever read. I'm sorry to say she died this week. Thanks for the stories, Miss Butler.

From an interview with her at scifidimensions:

sfd: What kind of advice do you have for up-and-coming writers?

(Octavia Butler): I know a lot of people are where I was several years ago, when I was getting started with writing, wondering how they might get started as writers. And I have this little litany of things they can do. And the first one, of course, is to write - every day, no excuses. It's so easy to make excuses. Even professional writers have days when they'd rather clean the toilet than do the writing. Second, read every day. Read voraciously and omnivorously, whatever's out there...