The Sixth Rule of Writing a Novel

After writing and revising, rewriting and editing, submitting and resubmitting, you might feel exhausted. And you have every right to want to take a break, sit back, and just wait. Maybe someone will publish your work, maybe they won't, but you're tired and you don't want to think about it any more.

But you still want to be published. You want to see your name in print. So, is there anything left that you can actually do? Your plot is completed, your characters are done for the moment, and your story is in the mail. Surely there's nothing left to do.

But there is. Keep writing. Move on. Come up with that next great story and get it down on paper. You've already done it once, so do it again. If you want to make a living as a writer, you have to keep writing, even when you think you're done. If you really can't find it in you to write another novel just yet, think about launching a career as a freelance writer. Being a professional writer can mean more than just writing novels.

Whatever you do, keep writing. Keep that pen sharp and ready to create the next great work.