Guiding Principle the Fourth

DON SAY "NO" TOO QUICKLY.

You may have writing opportunities that don't interest you much, but maybe you should think twice before rejecting them--especially at the beginning of your career.

Okay, so I knew early on I wanted to write YA novels. Still, when an opportunity to be an in-house writer for a bunch of MLM companies all over the company presented itself, I took it, mostly because the money was good and my employer promised to upgrade my computer. Anyhoo. I acquired a fairly valuable skill set while I did this. I learned how to . . .

a. write for a closely defined audience
b. write on a tight deadline
c. write to a set word count

And guess what? I now do those things every time I write a column for the Trib. Thanks for that, MLM companies! And thanks, too, for providing me with material I used later on when I wrote AMAZING GRACIE.

No writing is wasted writing.