Read, read, read. If you aggressively pursue a writing career you may wind up at a point where you have an awful lot of writing to do. Don't allow your workload to stop you from doing one of the most important things a writer can do: read other people's work. This advice certainly is not to read in order to take other writers' ideas, but instead to help you keep your brain sharp.

Many successful authors make the claim that you just can't be a good writer without being an avid reader, and there is a lot of validity to that assumption. When you are planning out your day, be sure to carve out some time to get some reading done. It doesn't matter if you read works which pertain to your style of writing, or if you simply read a quick pulp fiction novel for the entertainment; the point is to keep reading. Make it a priority, and don't ever allow yourself to be convinced that you don't have time to read for fun.

Writing is more than just typing words on a computer. Writing with the right tools, the right inspiration, and the right environment will make the process much easier than if you jump right in head first and with no preparation. Of course, there are a few talented writers who can indeed jump right in and knock out some great writing pieces, but unless you are blessed with this talent you will have to take the time to stack the odds in your favor.