Love this idea from Jena Schwartz
- It’s the journey, not the destination. I may never get where I’m going, never make a living as a fiction writer, but I have to keep moving in that direction. That’s where the joy in life, and my work, lies.
- It must be finished. There comes a point in any piece where you just have to stop and let it be done, good, bad, or indifferent. You’ll never get it out there if you don’t finish it.
- You’re going to fall in love with that story. This is the good part. It may come in the beginning, that sweet infatuation, that time when every word you set down is magic. Take a moment to just experience it.
- You’re going to fall out of love with that story. This is the bad part, the hard part. Somewhere in the middle of the first draft the romance will be over and you’ll be certain that this is going to be trash and what are you even doing? Buckle up and work through it.
- You’re better than you were, but not as good as you are going to be. Writing is a craft, and the more you do it, the better you will get—as long as you are always open to critique, and as long as you keep reading.
- You have to try new things. Experiment with different styles, different themes. Tap into your creativity. It might not work, but it might. And it doesn’t, you still might learn something.
- Keep all of your drafts. You’re supposed to kill your darlings, and you will, but who knows when you might be able to resurrect them somewhere else? A good piece of writing is precious as long as you’re not too precious about it.
- Show, don’t tell. I know sometimes this phrase makes you want to scream, but there’s a reason it won’t die. Don’t let traditional advice get in the way of seeing the wisdom of it. Rules are meant to be learned to be broken in a deliberate way, but this one lingers for good reason.
- Promote yourself because no one else will.
- Not everything is for everyone. Not everyone will like your work, and that has to be okay. Don’t take it personally, and don’t let it change the way you write.
- Just write. Do it because you love it, do it because you miss it terribly when you stop for too long, do it because it’s the only thing you’ve ever wanted to do. It’s going to slay you, it’s going to break your heart, it’s going to make you doubt yourself. But it also fills you with purpose, with joy, and, sometimes, with pride.
