6. Can't do without a thesaurus No matter how good your vocabulary or how witty your writing style, fact of life is that you will need a thesaurus. There will be times when you can do without an overused word, or a better expression. It's times like these when you absolutely must make use of a thesaurus.

7. You can't please everyone Everyone is different. Where there'll be dozens of people to appreciate your work, there will be many others who will tear it apart with their criticism. You have to learn to take good with bad.

8. Have extraordinary patience Editors are a strange lot. They need their time, and we need our patience. Don't go checking your mail day after you've sent your query. Chances are you'll be waiting a long time, before word comes in on that one.

9. Money doesn't come easy In writing world, money doesn't come as easily as it appears to from outside. You may write dozens of articles each week, and expect lots of cash to come in from their sale. Or you may expect your book to outdo target that you'd set for it. You never know - it just might, but every one cannot be Stephen King. And you'll probably have to learn to live with fact that no movie will be made from your first novel.

10. The road is long and hard The road is bumpy, and there'll be times when you'll want to give up. But destination is just as rewarding. Don't let long road ahead, deter you from your dreams. And don't ever give up.

7. Dictionary and Thesaurus. The ones that come with word processor are not sufficient. Get yourself some good old fashioned books, or a dictionary hesaurus on CD.

8. Company style guide. Some companies are very strict about their internal or external communications. They may have rules about style (different accepted spellings, for example) so that everybody who reads your company's literature or correspondence receives a consistent message about your company. You may lose credibility with your readers if everything sounds like it came from XYZ Corporation, except letter you are writing.

9. The right atmosphere. If your office doesn't cut it, find a better place. The library may work. A conference room might provide more space for you to pace as you're dictating your masterpiece. If you're writing about your company's manufacturing plant, it might help you to actually be there while you're writing.

10. Writing is rewriting. Remember that nobody, even Shakespeare, gets it on first try. Your first draft is exactly that - a rough copy, a sketch. Think of it as equivalent of a doodle when artists paint. They don't start with canvas - and neither should you. Unlike many other jobs, in writing, it's okay to make mistakes as you go along. Your final draft will be vastly different from few sentence fragments you begin with.

Using checklist items will set you up for a successful writing session. Have on hand as many of these items as you can each and every time you sit down to write something -- whether it's a letter to your customers or an annual report. By keeping all tools you need in one place, your writing session will go smoother and will be easier on your stress level than without them.