1. Pursuing an interest/career in writing even if people close to them say it’s a terrible idea.

2. Just going after seemingly bad ideas in general. Sometimes you don’t know an idea is good until you spend some quality time with it.

3. Reaching out to authors they like to tell them how awesome they are. Authors love that! Be nice to them!

4. Figuring out the kinds of books they like to read and writing books like the ones they love.

5. Continuing to write (while making gradual improvements) even after a series of rejections.

6. Sharing their ideas and opinions with other people. Talking about stories inspires more stories.

7. Supporting other writers — both those that are bigger and smaller than they are.

8. Ignoring people who criticize and hate on them/their work just for the sake of being hateful.

9. Learning to be their own cheerleader. You will always need support, but when it’s hard to come by, you’ll be glad you have yourself to rely on.

10. Never giving up. Persistence may not produce immediate results, but it does always pay off one way or another. Eventually.

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.

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