(As I type this, my four-year old is singing an ode to his wonderful penis. The male fascination starts waaaaay too early…)

*Ahem*

Things I’ve Learned Since I Started Writing

1. Books are the greatest things on earth. I always knew that, I just didn’t realize how fabulous they were until I saw what went in to churning one out.
2. Writers are the nicest people on the planet. Some of my closest friends are writers. I couldn’t live without them.
3. My writer’s group rocks!
4. Writing is damn hard. If it were easy, none of us would be doing it.
5. It doesn’t matter how many words I type in a day, my story is constantly churning in my head, and that’s progress.
6. Every word I type gets me closer to my goal. And every time I sit down to write, I’m getting better at what I’m doing.
7. I could easily waste a whole day blog-hopping and reading loops.
8. Sincerity shines through.
9. Writers who brag about their successes rub me the wrong way, but writers who are honest and helpful are gems to be cherished.
10. Published authors really do want to pass on their knowledge and help unpubs.
11. Be careful what you say and type – someone is always listening (and reading).
12. Writers are – first and foremost – readers. They’ll be the first ones to buy your books, the ones who’ll spread your name like wildfire. Be kind to them.
13. Having a mentor who believes in you is uber-important.
14. There’s a business side to writing I know very little about. But I’m learning.
15. My critique partners are gold!
16. Every time I’m sure I’ve written pure crap, someone tells me it’s good. (And vice versa)
And finally…
17. I will never stop learning. No matter what, I’ll never know-it-all. And that’s a good thing.

What have you learned since you started writing?