1. They always write with snacks or a delightful beverage of choice. Or both!

2. They write, to the best of their ability, when they are naturally most productive.

3. They set out to always tell the best story they can even if it’s not a great story in the beginning.

4. They set goals and work toward them at their own pace.

5. They keep writing knowing some people might not like or agree with what they have to say.

6. They use their real-life emotions to fuel their creativity. Sometimes even tragedy can inspire a story.

7. Instead of focusing on feeling guilty when they don’t write, they focus on what they can do differently to Make Writing Happen next time.

8. They practice regular self-care.

9. They tell the stories they want to tell without worrying about what everyone else thinks.

10. They manage their personal and professional lives simultaneously as best they can — not perfectly, but they try.

11. They create designated spaces for writing and only for writing.

12. They give themselves many opportunities to fail.

13. They take on this journey one word at a time.

14. Sometimes they work hard and it doesn’t feel like they’ve done anything at all. Sometimes they fall.

15. They always get back up again. Even if it takes awhile. They always get back up.

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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