1. Words can change people’s minds, if they speak directly to the people who need to hear them.

2. Striving for perfection is a waste of energy.

3. The more rejections you get, the more successful you’ll become.

4. There is only one thing that “makes a writer a writer: They write.

5. You don’t have to be good at it, you just have to do it.

6. Write what you want to write. Worry about other people’s opinions later.

7. A bad story does not make you a bad writer.

8. Real-life experience is a writer’s greatest asset.

9. No one will fall in love with your story if you don’t.

10. You can’t always trust your close friends and family to give honest critiques. Sometimes — but not always.

11. You should never pay someone to publish your work. THEY should be paying YOU.

12. You hold the power of words in your hands. Use those words to make the world better.

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.

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