13 Rules for the Would-Be Writer

1. Write at least 30 minutes every day, no matter what!

2. Keep a flashlight, pen(cil) and paper by your bedside for nighttime ideas.

3. Don't be afraid to revise your work. Nothing is sacred.

4. Keep a log of your writing time on a sheet of paper to show how much you work.

5. Keep a folder for each story.

6. Save multiple versions of the same story.

7. Study the market for the kind of writing that publishers want. Follow their guidelines.

8. Enter contests. They're fun and challenging.

9. Keep track of where you send your stories. Write it inside the folder.

10. Keep track of every penny you spend. A simple ledger will do.

11. Keep your receipts. The IRS will want them when you are famous.

12. Rejoice at rejection. Learn by it. Revise and send it off again.

13. Last, but not least, write because you love to, not because you plan to get rich by it.

Follow these simple rules, and within a very short time your files will be full of stories. Imagine 30 minutes a day for 365 days = 10,950 minutes = 182.5 hours of writing!

PVA

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