A Quote for Aspiring Writers

Being a writer does not necessarily mean being published. It's very nice to be published. It's what you want. When you have a vision, you want to share it. But being a writer means writing. It means building up a body of work. It means writing every day. You can hardly say that van Gogh was not a painter because he sold one painting during his lifetime, and that to his brother. But do you say that van Gogh wasn't a painter because he wasn't 'published'? He was a painter because he painted, because he held true to his vision as he saw it. And I think that's the best example I can give you.

-Madeleine L'Engle

10 Commandments for Writers

1. Love thy subject.

2. Love thy reader.

3. Love and thank and listen to and appreciate thy editor!

4. Thou shalt research thy subject and shalt knowest it better than thou knowest thyself (not really . . . every writer shalt knowest thyself darn well).

5. Thou shalt write because that's what writers do.

6. Thou shalt cry only briefly if thou receivest a rejection letter; and thou shalt celebrate each page your write.

7. Thou shalt worship the Word, not your words.

8. Thou shalt save thy work.

9. Thou shalt study thy markets diligently and only then send thy manuscript into the world.

10. Thou shalt not brood upon its fate, but set about the workings of thy next project with good will and high heart.