1. Writing is tough, but so are you.
2. Writing one word at a time isn’t nearly as hard as it sometimes seems.
3. When you’re stuck, just remember you are a writer and you can technically arrange a bunch of words onto a page any way you want and call it art. :)
4. People can criticize your words but they can’t stop you from writing.
5. Some people can still write when their whole world is falling apart. Some can’t. You’re no better or worse or more or less of a writer whichever category you fall into.
6. Failure is, at the end of the day, really nothing more than a matter of opinion.
7. Most rejections aren’t personal. A lot of people in charge of sending you that rejection wish they didn’t have to.
8. You will almost never succeed on the first try — and that’s a good thing.
9. Everyone has their own personal reasons for not being where they want to be in their writing life. Take on your reasons one at a time. Figure out how to write despite them.
10. No matter your obstacles, there is always a way over, around, or through.
11. There is someone out there who believes in you, even if they never tell you so.
12. Every word you write is one word closer to success. Even when it doesn’t feel like you’ll ever get there. Keep going. Keep going. Please, keep going. Keep writing. I will if you will.
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 