I'm sure many of you are familiar with Heinlein's Rules for Writing. I have expanded on those rules. These are the:
Penders' Rules for Writing:
1. Listen to the voices in your head. Those are your muse. Let them guide you. It’s when you don’t listen is when you get in trouble, when you block.
2. Time can slip away. Word count cannot. It’s why I use word count as my goal. Every time I start writing my goal is 700-1000 words.
3. As Jonathan Carroll said in The Crow’s Dinner:
Write when you’re motivated. You want to remain friends with writing. Don’t force it. If you want to take a day off, a week off, a month off, do it. Better to stay friends, then be in conflict. Conflict will lead to a permanent block.
4. Never write for the market. Write for yourself and only for yourself. The market will find you.
5. Trust your intuition.
6. Finish what you start.
7. Find a professional editor. Do NOT rely on yourself for editing.
8. Market what you produce. Don’t stick your work in a draw.
