Shelberius

That depends. If chasing my dreams would be detrimental to people who are under my care, I would have to stick with growing up. If the only person suffering any potential consequences is me, dreams all the way.

That's tough. I want to say Stephen King because I write horror and was enthralled by how rude and disgusting he got to be and how it made me feel. I wanted to freak people out like him. That being said, there are dozens of writers who are amazing and have inspired me. Lovecraft, Wells, Harper Lee, and Bradbury leap to mind.

The Gunslinger or Dark Tower series by Stephen King. It's a slim margin, though. I love old school sci-fi series and many of the best fantasy series. Right now I am really digging George R.R. Martin.

Content mills are basically places where anyone can publish, such as the old Helium and Associated Content sites. They often pay very little to start. You can make more as you get better or more savvy. The real money is in having private clients or having better clients through an intermediary, such as a marketplace. Going through marketplaces is great because they handle the clients. If the client does not want to be professional, I still get paid and I do not have to do much about it.

If he's writing articles, a compelling lead paragraph. Boring openers do not cut it anymore. Look for format. Long paragraphs are too daunting for the average Internet reader. Of course, make sure grammar and spelling is good.

If we're talking about a book, there are too many things to list, but I'll name the big ones. Plot holes are hell. Let him know before he ruins his life by trying to publish a book that has holes in it. The first sentence of every chapter should be attention grabbing ("Her skin was on fire." "The door wouldn't open." "I believe in magic.") and the first paragraph short. I remember reading that a person is more likely to start the next chapter before putting the book down if it seems like a quick thrill. The rest is really monotonous editing, which involves more than your average feedback.

*Note: I am mostly regurgitating great advice I have had from great writers/great writers' books that has worked for me. You learn to adhere to the good and toss out the rest.