– You will always offend someone.

– You will never please all your readers.

– You can only fully satisfy yourself, but only if you are lucky.

– Write how you want it to be written. If you don’t agree with changes that the publisher or editor are making, find a new one, even though it’s a hard decision to make.  If it is your story and you are that passionate about it, keep it your story.

– Keep writing. Never stop because someone says they don’t like it.  Take what they say, ask them why, ask them what about the story or characters they didn’t like.  Let the information sit before pulling it out to re-examine everything.

– Laugh, smile, praise whenever someone loves what you do.

– Keep writing.  If you stop, then there is nowhere to go. If you don’t finish, then there is nothing to edit. If you don’t work hard, you will never succeed.

– Have faith.  There are ups and downs, there are sideways strolls and massive roller coasters.  Have faith that you will find the finish line, that you’ll get to the end.  Maybe you’ll want to go on the ride again.

– Write first, edit later.  You can’t ever get anything published, have anyone read it, if it is not FINISHED.  I write NaNoWriMo style–massive quantities in little time and spend weeks and weeks editing afterward.

– Always be open to criticism, even if it’s not constructive.  Take a moment when you get it, go to the other room, pound on the pillow, take a hot shower, go for a long run.  Come back, sit down, read it again, figure out what you can do about it.