As a licensed therapist, I spend my day being a cheerleader.  For eight hours a day, I tell people that they can do it, they can get better, they can rise above this difficult time in their lives.  As an aspiring writer, there are times that I could use some cheerleading.  I love writing and I love what I write, but there are days that I wished for more affirmation.  Today is such a day.  So, before I totally let myself fall into a pit of self-pity and self-doubt, I have decided to establish my 10 Commandments of Writing.

1. Remind yourself why you write.  You write because you love to tell stories.  You don’t write to make money (good thing) or for accolades.  You write for the pure pleasure of creating a story.

2. Read more.  Never stop learning the craft.  Study what you like and what you don’t like.

3. Stop perusing your book sales spreadsheets.  When you tie your art into your finances, one or the other is bound to suffer.

4. Don’t take rejection so personally.  Allow yourself a ten minute pity-party, then move on.  You can’t get into the minds of publishers or agents or advertising sites, so stop trying.

5. Take pleasure in other’s successes or at the very least, don’t resent them.  Sure, the pinch can hurt when a book that you wouldn’t touch again with a 10-foot pole becomes a best seller, but good for them!  It might be your turn next.

6. Remind yourself how satisfying it is to finish writing a book.  There’s no feeling like it.  Waiting for your first sale, your first review–knowing that someone in this world is out there enjoying your hard work is a priceless feeling.

7. Remember that every day is a new day; one with endless possibilities.  My brother is a photographer and aspiring filmmaker and we have talked about how every day we are both just one phone call, one e-mail, one text away from greatness.

8. Don’t allow self-doubt to eat away at you.  Like anger, resentment, and jealousy, self-doubt is a selfish, destructive emotion.

9. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you will ever give up writing.

10.  Just shut up and write.