Yes, there are times you don’t know the way forward, and yes, you will almost certainly experience rejection. But don’t tell yourself writing IS hard. When it’s going well, when you find that story, it’s naturally effortless.

If you set your intentions before you begin anything new, whether a story or a year, you can start to develop new habits.

As we grow up, it’s easy to start believing that work and fun can’t be one and the same. This may be true in some professions, but it shouldn’t be so in the arts. No fun for the writer; no fun for the reader.

Often, the biggest obstacle to finding our voice is the pressure we put on ourselves to be “good” or be acceptable. If you take the pressure off, your voice will come naturally.

All my stories end the same way: Life is friendly, and the natural relationship between people is love. The reason there are so many to tell is there are so many times this doesn’t seem to be the case.

Amuse, entertain, and inspire yourself, and mean what you say. If you can do that, the rest will take care of itself.

It’s easy to start thinking that the lives of all the people you care for are somehow more important than yours. Writing reminds us again and again that this has never been true.

Sometimes the most difficult part of writing stems from the fact that we’re adults, and have become increasingly concerned with our own survival, rather than what pleases us most.