I am up to just over half a million words written thusfar this year (551K to be exact) and the most important things I have learned about being a writer are to :

a) Be open minded — not everyone will love what you write, that should not stop you!

b) Don’t take it personally — most of the time, a critique will help you hone and focus your writing.

c) Write every single day — set a target — a goal of 500 or a thousand or 3,000 words.

d) Write on as many topics as you can — Expand your thinking and your penmanship.

e) Find your niche — when you’ve experimented with lots of different styles, topics, and areas, learn the ones you’re really good at, and perfect it.