What's the best journalism or writing advice you've gotten? And the worst? I've been thinking a lot about both (and note that I am being specific about journalism as a kind of writing, not the entirety or the grande dame of it). Here are a few of my "best" and "worst":

Best No. 1: "Learn the forms of journalism." Meaning learning how to do the quick news hit, the feature, the profile, the cop log, etc. And then "you can find freedom in the form."

Best No. 2: Know that the feature is not just fluff. I've taken this to heart in my career. The unusual, history-informs-the-present feature is my jam.

Best 3: You need to specialize but know a bit of everything: design, copy editing, whatever. First, to make a career choice. Second, to have career mobility. Third, so you know what your colleagues do and so you can set expectations accordingly (and be a good co-worker).

Best 4: Everybody needs an editor, even editors. And your editor is your partner in excellence, even if they don't know it. Don't assume rigorous edits are antagonistic (but you can usually figure out if they are).

Best 5: Don't forget to LOVE THE WORDS. This is so important. Play with them, if you can. If you can't, find a place, publication or article where you can.

Best 6: Related to above, don't forget the make-it-beautiful step. If you have time — and deadlines always loom — take a final step of seeing where you can polish, vary your language, seek editorial elegance or punch.

Best 7: Formal mentorship programs are fine, but don't be afraid to reach out to someone and say "I appreciate your work, and I'm looking for mentors — people who can be my personal board of directors, so to speak. And here's what I'm looking for ... "

Worst No. 1: "You need to go to accent reduction school." You'll never get hired for broadcast with a Southern accent. This from dean of my journalism school (a top-ranked one in the South)! I was 19 and so discouraged. I decided that major was not for me soon after. Wonder why.

Worst No. 2: Adjectives have no place in journalism. Glad I ignored this one. Sometimes, I'm judicious with adjectives. Sometimes, I load pieces with them exuberantly. Both can be effective.

Worst No. 3: Getting a staff job at The New York Times or The Washington Post should be your goal. Everybody shouldn't have the same pinnacle. We do community and local media a disservice if J-schools mistake elite publications as the brass ring.

Worst No. 4: I'm dating myself, but here goes: "That World Wide Web thing is just a fad. It won't affect your career." LOL.

Worst No. 5: "You just need three sources."

Worst No. 6: You need to be in NABJ to succeed as a Black journalist. I was an "NABJ baby" with a good internship and got its Ethel Payne Award. It can be a great network, but I've found it very broadcast-focused and not so useful for me as a freelancer and movement journalist.

Worst No. 7: "You, as journalist, should never be in your stories." As I heard @soledadobrien say during a "50 Women Who Can Change Journalism" workshop (thanks, @GloriaFeldt), the idea of the journalist who sheds their identity or ideas when they write is "just weird."

Worst No. 8: And this is a doozy. When you get a staff job, you often can't freelance elsewhere. And that's just the way it is. Accept it.