Fifteen Commandments for Writing
 
 


 
 

I. Thou shalt think like a professional, starting now.

II. Thou shalt begin and keep going till you're through

III. Thou shalt take your efforts and desires seriously

IV. Thou shalt call it work.

V. Thou shalt write for yourself, not the market.

VI. Thou shalt not wait for visits from the muse.

VII. Thou shalt not ask whether you are good enough.

VIII. Thou shalt not intimidate yourself by comparing your writing with
                 a published and polished work.

IX. Thou shalt not worry whether your idea is new enough

X Thou shalt not talk your idea away

XI. Thou shalt not self-censor at all during the first draft

XII. Thou shalt not risk writer's paralysis by looking for the precise
                 word or being afraid of sounding dumb.

XIII. Thou shalt not believe that if writing is hard, you must be no
                 good.

XIV. Thou shalt not set yourself up for failure with impossible goals.

XV. Thou shalt not believe in writer's block

*taken from the book "You Can write a mystery" by Gillian Roberts.
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