Never stop writing.

"It may seem like a cliche, but the more you write, the better you'll become. Even though 'Dating Destiny' was published just nine months ago, I can see how I've grown as a writer. If I had to do it over, the chapters of my first book wouldn't have ended so abruptly and (the lead character) Essie wouldn't be so whiny."

Write what you like to read.

"Take characters that you'd like to see evolve and change. Generally, I'll write the first 20 pages of a book before I make an outline. I do this because I want to see if I have the story and characters in place before completely committing to it. Once I have everything in place, I'll just let the characters take me any place they want."

If all else fails, hire a good editor.

"I write every quickly," Sterling said, "but I usually need a second pair of eyes looking at my work."

Sterling has enlisted the help of fellow East High School sophomore Leanne Smith to edit her book. Although they disagree on comma placement and the number of rewrites needed, Sterling said she respects her friend's editorial instincts.

Want to read the books?

"Dating Destiny," Elizabeth Sterling's first book in her "Anya" series of Gothic novels, is available from Amazon.com. "Dating Destiny," its prequel, "Black Roses," and the soon-to-be-released "The Flight of the Humabirs," are available at lulu.com/elizabethsterling.