There are so many things that writers do for everyone else. We are, by nature, givers. We “yes honey” our spouses, we “sure thing” our kids and we “no problem” our publishers. We simply don’t know how to say no.

So with this is mind, how does a writer keep that writer’s cup filled? You know…. how do we make sure that our lives as a writer is meeting its full potential? How do we make sure that the writer in us is getting its proper nutrition while we are meeting the needs of all those other people? The answer is to make sure that we follow some basic guidelines. Do some stuff to ensure that the writer in us is being fulfilled.

• Never compare yourself to other writers – We all do it. We pick out our favorite author and then in times of strife ask, why can’t we be more like fill-in-the-blank. Stop that! We are all individuals and we all have something unique to offer. Comparisons are fruitless.

• Understand that your family is biased – Whether they are for you or against you, your family members are biased. If you understand that then they can’t hurt your feelings or fill your head with oh-my-God-you-are-so-good crap. Either thing is hurtful.

• Base your success on how your writing has enriched your life and how you felt with you created it – Base your success on money and you will fail as a writer. We writers don’t always make money and to be honest, that’s not what it’s all about anyway. Make your writing about something more than superficial crap.

• Remember that it’s the job of the writer to create new story, not just regurgitate what exists – It’s easy to redo stuff that has already been done…don’t take the easy way through. Create! That’s what we are here for.

These are just a few of the basics that every writer should keep in mind. We are creative people and so we need to make sure that we are nourishing the writer constantly. We deserve to be treated as best we can be by ourselves at all times. We, after all, are the very best of…well…us.

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