As written for the The Guardian News by Zadie Smith who is a British novelist, essayist and short story writer. This she has published four novels, all of which have
received substantial critical praise.She wrote these 10 rules for any person thinking about becoming an author should adhere to if they want to become an published author.
1) When still a child, make sure you read a lot of books.
Spend more time doing this than anything else.
2) When an adult, try to read your own work as a stranger
would read it, or even better, as an enemy would.
3) Don't romanticize your "vocation". You can
either write good sentences or you can't. There is no "writer's
lifestyle". All that matters is what you leave on the page.
4) Avoid your weaknesses. But do this without telling
yourself that the things you can't do aren't worth doing. Don't mask self-doubt
with contempt.
5) Leave a decent space of time between writing something and
editing it.
6) Avoid cliques, gangs, groups. The presence of a crowd
won't make your writing any better than it is.
7) Work on a computer that is disconnected from the
internet.
8) Protect the time and space in which you write. Keep
everybody away from it, even the people who are most important to you.
9) Don't confuse honors with achievement.
10) Tell the truth through whichever veil comes to hand – but
tell it. Resign yourself to the lifelong sadness that comes from never being
satisfied.
If you would like to know more about Zadie Smith
