Kent Said:

I'd like to improve my writing skills, any ideas of how to go about doing this?

We Answered:

You've got a good start by reading. Read everything you can get your hands on. Pay attention to the grammar and punctuation that authors use.

Read Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg, and On Writing by Stephen King.

Join a local writing group. Most meet weekly or monthly and critque each other's works.

Write a LOT. Practice writing different aspects of a story, for instance, a character sketch, or a description of a setting. Close your eyes and try to imagine what you're writing. Research what you're writing.

Don't freak out if you hate what you write at first. One of the most helpful things I ever learned was just to get it down, and if the first draft is crap, that's why it's a first draft.

If you get stuck on a story, don't despair. Skip ahead to a different scene, or write something different for a while. Or try to find inspiration in a song or a passage of another story.

Best of luck to you!