The Only Writing Advice You Really Need

I know a lot of people resolved to write more in the New Year, and there's tons of advice flying around. And most of it is nonsense. Or, rather, it's something that worked for one person, and so that person has decided it's a universal rule. No. My friend Susan Adrian has some good stuff to say about not falling into this trap of feeling like if you can't write every day or use Scrivener or write standing on your head or whatever the other popular "rule" of the moment might be, you just shouldn't try. Because that is completely wrong. Here's what matters:

I think there are three absolute "rules" you need to follow to be a real writer. These are the only things we all need to do. And we all DO them, over and over and over, from the 20-published-books author to the ones still in the trenches, at all levels. I learned them a long time ago from Diana Gabaldon, and they're the only true rules I've ever seen. Ready? Here they are:

1. Read.
2. Write.
3. Don't give up.

That's it. Nothing else matters.

Yes. I wholeheartedly believe that. But you should read the whole post, because it's good.