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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.
Mridu Khullar is the editor-in-chief of www.WritersCrossing.com, a free online magazine for writers. Sign up for the free weekly newsletter to get a complimentary e-book with 400+ paying markets. Also check out her e-book, "Knock Their Socks Off! A Freelance Writer's Guide to Query Letters That Sell," available at http://www.writerscrossing.com/queries.html
