1. Don’t worry about creating the perfect title/headline before you start writing. Write first, tweak later.
2. Always have a plan, but never the whole plan. It’s never going to go the way you think.
3. No idea is completely original. Write your story, whether it’s similar to someone else’s or not.
4. Don’t spend too much time trying to come up with the most unique idea that’s ever been crafted, either.
5. Start by taking a well-known concept and figuring out how to make it your own.
6. In writing, perfection is overrated.
7. Especially when you’re working on a first draft.
8. Don’t put your full trust in Grammarly or SpellCheck.
9. There will always be at least one person who likes your idea.
10. Give every new idea a chance, even if it turns out not to be a good one.
11. “I don’t think it will be good” is not a good excuse.
12. The only way to get better at writing is to write.
13. You don’t have to publish everything you create.
14. One bad idea is not going to ruin your career.
15. Rejection isn’t just normal; it’s good for you, too.
16. You’ll learn more by failing than you ever will by succeeding in writing.
17. Do good work and you’ll get good results. Eventually. In time.
18. The only way to truly fail as a writer is to never write.
19. You’re the only one in control of whether or not you write what you want to write. Use that control wisely.
Meg is the creator of Novelty Revisions, dedicated to helping writers put their ideas into words. She is a staff writer with The Cheat Sheet, a freelance editor and writer, and a 10-time NaNoWriMo winner. Follow Meg on Twitter for tweets about writing, food and nerdy things.
Meg Dowell Writes 
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