1. Thou shall set writing goals.
2. Thou shall write faithfully, allowing only emergencies to disrupt thy writing time.
3. Thou shall not listen to negative self-talk.
4. Thou shall study thy craft.
5. Thou shall not tell, but show thy story.
6. Thou shall not steal thy neighbor’s writing.
7. Thou shall realize thy manuscript baby may need changing and edit to clean up thy baby.
8. Thou shall celebrate rejections as proof thou art reaching for thy dreams.
9. Thou shall be true to thy heart’s writing desire and not write sparkly vampire stories unless thy heart say it must be so.
10. Thou shall not let thy head get big if thy baby is announced on the New York Times Best-Seller list.
Fantastic list! I think we all need at least a few of these at one time or another. The big one I have to remind myself of is number three about negative self-talk. I am so bad at that! Oh, wait. Is that negative self-talk, saying I’m bad at it? Anyway, I do need to be nicer to myself.
Hope you’re having a great week!
Thanks, Caryn! I loved your post on writing a first draft. Wouldn’t it be helpful to have a ‘Personal Cheering Section’ LOL!
Thanks, Sonya! I enjoyed your post, too.
I just stopped by via YARWA, so I’m seeing your blog twice this week! 🙂
Funny! Mine is number three too.
I saw that you got an agent. Congratulations, you must be excited.
I know, right? Thank you, I am excited! She’s a great agent.
I love this list. I like number ten best. You know it’s going to happen to both of us, right? And we still want to be able to fit our heads through the doors.
That’s my goal and I’m going to keep working at it! When we both reach it, we’ll have to get together and celebrate ; – )
Great 10…just hope I do better with yours than Moses’.
LOL. Me, too.
Hi Sonya! Love your list. I most often have to remind myself of number three, too. And, oh, okay, number two also. A cupcake break counts as an emergency, right?
Oh absolutely, Robin. Chocolate, too, LOL.
Congratulations too on ‘Worth the Risk’. I LOVE that book cover.
Awesome! Am chiseling them in stone even as we speak.
LOL. Whoever did your book covers did an awesome job!
Loved this, Sonya!
Thanks, Loree and thanks for stopping by!
Great post and “oh-so-true,” Sonya! I need to place the following on my list:
1.) Thou shall not look at Pinterest while writing.
2.) Thou shall not “tweet” while in the midst of editing.
3.) Thou shall not post on Facebook or be sucked in by the temptations of it while trying to get any work done at all.
🙂
Oh amen! I try not to even be online when I’m writing because it’s such a temptation for me to just take a ‘quick peek’ that turns into an hour or longer.
Good list, very thorough. My number is: Just write it.
Love that! Thanks for all the tips you give on your website. The photo in your ‘We are what we eat. Really?’ post looked scrumptious. I’ve never tried coconut milk. I don’t remember ever seeing it at the grocery store. I’ll look for it.
*sigh* I SO love these commandments!! Though it looks like I’ve broken a few. lol. But I love them all the same. And please let #10 be true so I can have the chance to keep my head small. Please, please, please!! 😉
Wow! The video and the blurb underneath the video on your website are very powerful.
Oh number 3… Great post! 😀
Thanks! You’re such a sweet person!