Be serious about your craft and commitment to it, but not so serious about your ego.

Don’t be hard on yourself, but keep working, learning and having fun with it. Commit to a certain time each day, your date with yourself to play with language. It can be a half hour – you can get a lot done in that amount of time, if you can focus. Surprise yourself, discover a meaning in your work that you didn’t expect. Those little moments of insight when things suddenly come together are what make writing a joy. And don’t apologize for making time for this work. It is not an idle hobby. Be serious about your craft and commitment to it, but not so serious about your ego.

Susan Marsh is an award-winning writer living in Jackson, Wyoming. www.slmarsh.com