The Writer's 10 Commandments

There is tons of information out there informing writers of things they should do to establish themselves in the industry, but I find that there isn't much buzz about what writers should NOT do.  So, to help inform you of some things I believe would hinder, or be detrimental, to building your writing career, I have comprised a quick list I call The Writer's 10 Commandments.

If you are serious about becoming a successful writer, you should try not to do the following things:

1.  Thou shall not publish any work without a thorough edit. Grammatical errors, poor sentence structure, and improper punctuation will turn readers, or publishers, away. A good edit makes all the difference.

2.  Thou shall not write using someone else's voice. Be true to your own voice.

3.  Thou shall not make excuses. Excuses get you nowhere. 

4.  Thou shall not procrastinate. Procrastination produces nothing but lost time.

5. Thou shall not listen to the voice in your head. It will always tell you you're not good enough.

6.  Thou shall not compare yourself to other writers.  Everything about you is unique.

7.  Thou shall not fail to educate yourself on your craft. Knowledge is power, and the internet is filled with free, valuable information accessible to all. If you don't know, learn. 

8.  Thou shall not miss deadlines. Professionalism respects promptness.

9.  Thou shall not give in to fear. You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength. Place your confidence in Him.

10. Thou shall not give up on your dream. As it is said, winners never quit; quitters never win. 

Happy writing!