4. Write the next book.

With everything else done, it’s important to know when a manuscript is complete.  There’s still a lot to do even then.  If you’re trying the traditional publishing route, there’s the long, painful submission process.  If you’re going the e-publishing route, you still need professional editing, cover art, cover quotes, and a marketing plan.

Don’t let these tasks delay for too long the most important next step that a writer needs to do:  write the next novel, and then the next.

5.  Learn to enjoy the process.

Being a writer is not an easy road to travel.  It is long and often discouraging.  Most people don’t understand what it takes and can’t understand what we do.  And yet, we write because we must.   Writers are driven to write and we love it.  The process of developing a manuscript for eventual  release to the public is challenging, and also rewarding.

This is a journey filled with growth and exciting milestones.  The road behind us may be littered with discarded manuscripts, cut scenes, and  tens of thousands of words sacrificed to the editing red pen, but when we stand with a work worthy to be called our best effort in our hands, it’s a magical moment.

In the end, we keep writing.  It’s what we do.

When did you first start calling yourself a writer?  How did you know it was time?