1. They jump into (almost) every idea and give it a chance — even if it doesn’t end up working out.
2. They often spend less time planning (in the beginning) and more time actually writing.
3. They don’t worry that everything has to be perfect the first time around.
4. They use their fear as a tool instead of a roadblock.
5. They dare to write nonsense. Hey — some of it might actually make sense.
6. They tell the story they want to tell now and concern themselves with “details” later.
7. They remind themselves that first drafts exist solely to be (mostly) terrible.
8. They let themselves have fun. Writing doesn’t always have to be stressful.
9. They spend more time writing than talking about what they’re going to write.
10. They work through obstacles instead of letting obstacles stop them.
11. They don’t worry about what other people “might think” of them or their work.
12. They believe they can do it. So even in moments of fear and doubt, they do it anyway.
Meg is the creator of Novelty Revisions, dedicated to helping writers put their ideas into words. She is an editor and writer, and a 12-time NaNoWriMo winner. Follow Meg on Twitter for tweets about writing, food, and Star Wars.
Meg Dowell Writes 
I love this list! I have only attempted and completed one long fictional project…and it had no rhyme or reason to it. I just wrote and wrote without worrying. I ended up with a 240,000 word manuscript.
I had to go back and edit it and reformat and proofread endlessly – that was hard work. It has become three books in a series. But the initial writing process was an absolute joy!
#9 is so important! I have gotten myself into trouble before, talking about a project before the first draft was out. I think it makes your reptile brain think you’ve actually completed the project, when you haven’t.