The other day, as I was working on the first draft of my third suspense WIP, I started to reflect on my writing journey. I had gone over to my office bookshelf to look for my notebook and saw the first novel I ever wrote filed amongst all the others I’ve collected.

This first book was published by not one, but two small presses in e-book and paperback. I was also reminded that I have finished two other books, one a suspense and the other a light horror, both of which I am querying to agents.

And although I’m working on a suspense novel at the moment, I also have a story bible filled with notes for a second horror novel, a ghost story.

Then, my eyes scanned another shelf where I found a women’s anthology about mothers with my essay included inside, my two Writer’s Digest market books, each containing an article I wrote, and the children’s magazines that had bought and published my poetry.

And then I thought back to where all this writing started…in childhood. I took every opportunity to write stories in grade school. I made up scripts for the neighborhood kids who would come to my yard and recreate them, sometimes even for the parents. I wrote plays and musicals for kids and teens for over 20 years for my performing arts school drama department.

And that’s when I truly embraced the fact that I am a writer.

So with all this history creating with words, what have I learned about being a writer? What would I tell my past self if I would have known what I know now?

1.        You will prove all the naysayers who thought writing was just a phase wrong.

2.        Keep on learning.

3.        Don’t fear feedback. It’s a gift. Trust your gut to know which feedback is useful.

4.        Remember, you are a writer.

5.        You figured out that deadlines motivate you, so use them.

6.        You are tenacious. This will keep you going when things get hard…and they will.

7.        Never settle for the first draft. Revision is where the book becomes the book.

8.        Never underestimate the power of reading.

9.        Perfectionism doesn’t finish books.

10.        You will always have moments of Imposter Syndrome but keep going anyway.