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1. Stop watching television. Instead, read as much as possible.
\n2. Prepare for more failure and criticism than you think you can deal with.
\n3. Don’t waste time trying to please people.
\n4. Write primarily for yourself.
\n5. Tackle the things that are hardest to write.
\n6. When writing, disconnect from the rest of the world.
\n7. Don’t be pretentious.
\n8. Avoid adverbs and long paragraphs.
\n9. Don’t get overly caught up in grammar.
\n10. Master the art of description.
\n11. Don’t give too much background information.
\n12. Tell stories about what people actually do.
\n13. Take risks; don’t play it safe.
\n14. Realize that you don’t need drugs to be a good writer.
\n15. Don’t try to steal someone else’s voice.
\n16. Understand that writing is a form of telepathy.
\n17. Take your writing seriously.
\n18. Write every single day.
\n19. Finish your first draft in three months.
\n20. When you’re finished writing, take a long step back.
\n21. Have the guts to cut.
\n22. Stay married, be healthy, and live a good life.<\/p>\n
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