Seeing as "How to Write" books/advice seem to be hot at the moment, I thought I'd add my two cents. So here goes.

Be warned, this will contain my own twisted perspective on things.

1) Writing is maddening, lonely, requires time most people don't have and above all, will frustrate the f**k out of you to the point where you will need some sort of substance to get you though any writing session. I admit, my vice is chocolate, but I do know authors who go for harder stuff. Peanut brittle and stuff like that. *shudder*

2) If you are still compelled to write, write what your muse tells you to. If that so happens to be fan-fiction or fluffy bunnies in twinkle-toe town or hard core sci-fi with language in it only Einstein could decipher, then that's what you must do. DO NOT go against your muse.

I know. I wasted many years planting down crap I thought other people would like. I now have stuff on my hard drive I NEVER want anyone to see. In fact, if my computer got confiscated by authorities I would have no problem whatsoever if they found my porn collection. If they read my early stuff...Oh dear GOD!!!!

3) As a flow on from point 2, write because you love it. You should love the subject/genre/style you have chosen so much that you would run in front of a passing train to catch your manuscript if it blew away. Seriously, you need to want to bleed real blood and cry real tears for your work. You must be so in love with your words that anyone, and I mean anyone, who says anything bad about your work in the delicate beginning stages should be punched out until they either fall over into unconsciousness or beg for forgiveness, all bloody and broken.

It's called 'new baby' syndrome. I mean, even if what you have birthed reads like it was written by a headless monkey with arthritis your work will still be beautiful according to you.

When you are at this stage. Congratulations.Then you can move on to point 4. 

4) You must hate what you write. Yes, I know this contradicts point 3, but that's just how frustrating writing can be. If that manuscript does blow away you will also want it to find the deepest ocean, be eaten by sharks, pooped out, then the remains digested by bottom dwellers science haven't discovered yet. Why? Because you will always think your work sucks and the truth of the matter is that in the beginning (first drafts) it probably will. Edit. Re-write. Find that gold. It will happen.

All I can really say is listen to yourself, write what you want, for yourself, and then send it away and move on to the next work. Never give up.

I now need chocolate!