I Googled myself, and found that an undergraduate student quoted my article on concise writing in her term paper. How delectable, to suddenly feel famous and quotable! I felt majestically benevolent toward this stranger named Kenna.

Kenna, are you still out there? I could read your enthusiasm in every line of your assignment. Countless jaded professors probably warned you that this writing life is not easy. But I want to counter that overplayed cliché with some more helpful advice, gleaned from my own trials and errors.

Immerse yourself in support. The most important people you can connect with are writers with the same level of passion, people who will offer detailed critiques but will also be kind and encouraging. But before you even get to those soul-sustaining authors-in-arms, become your own best support. Spend some serious time determining what you want to write and where you want to be in a year and in five years. Take it seriously enough to write a mission statement that captures your vision. Keep taking the pulse of your passion. You may need to resuscitate it when things get too stressful, but this can be done with long walks, rants and raves to sympathetic friends, and finally writing your way back to life.

Time to write is the Holy Grail for most writers. Managing time is almost as important as all of the reading, writing, and narrative techniques you can muster. If you are fortunate enough not to need a day job, time will still be a challenge. (Like money, it seems the more you have, the more you fritter away). You will get caught up in Web surfing, laundry, balancing the checkbook, anything to avoid the harsh, hypnotic buzz of the blank screen. Honor your commitment: stick to a writing schedule built around your peak creative time. Use lower energy times for researching markets or printing self-addressed envelopes. The important rule: write even when it’s uninspiring and uninspired. You’ll break through again to good ideas and satisfying prose, and, finally, more publication success.

While we’re talking about time, think also about whether writing full-time is your best option. Writers with day jobs chomp at the bit to quit and finally write that masterpiece, and usually finances prevent them from doing just that. Moonlighting writers are in good company: Archibald MacLeish headed up the Offices of Facts and Figures and War Information during World War II, and Hart Crane wrote advertising copy before he earned his literary reputation. Working full-time, while not my first choice, has helped me manage my writing choices carefully and creatively. As I pay down my debt I am gaining a wealth of discipline.

Claim the whole universe as an ideal place to write. I had to experience different spaces and train my creative mind before I got to the “office without borders” approach. In my case, every draft gets printed and saved on disk. Intriguing articles get printed and saved too. Not a good time to plug in? I edit on hard copy. Not a good time to think? I sort through my printouts for quotes and ideas. Gavin (my 4-year-old) mesmerized by Dragon Tales on PBS? I plug in behind the couch and type like a maniac. Making the universe your office will milk that elusive time for all it’s worth. 

Once you’ve established strong support and an organized and purposeful writing routine, be sure to attend to how others see you. So much of the writing life is internally focused, and the extroversion of self promotion can cause some mental whiplash. But as with any business you need to project a positive image and make connections at every possible turn. If these skills don’t come naturally (and they seem mysterious to most new writers), there are countless classes and books that will give you a boost.