Robert Heinlein, sometimes called the Dean of science fiction, had five rules for writers. For those of us who see ourselves as writers, they have stood up pretty well to the test of time.
Heinlein’s Original Rules:
1. You must write.
That's not hard. I constantly turn to writing for fun. It means that I read less than I used to read, but I love to write.
2. You must finish what you write.
A little harder for me. I have a number of unfinished pieces. I am torn between writing what I like, and writing what I can sell. At the moment, I have six pieces in various stages of development, but that's not all bad. Sometimes pieces need to perk, or need to find a home (an interested magazine) before they can be completed. But I hope that number doesn't increase.
3. You must refrain from rewriting, except to editorial order.
Hard. When does "writing" become "rewriting?" Every piece gets revised along the way. At least, mine do.
4. You must put the work on the market.
I think he means "sell it." I have not found that to be a problem. I've been very fortunate in finding a home for most of what I have written.
5. You must keep the work on the market until it is sold.
Not quite sure what he means, except "keep selling." That's curious, coming from him, because with one or two exceptions when he was starting out, Heinlein sold everything he wrote
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