The Top 5 Rude Awakenings of Rookie Writers

Since my last post, I have been forced to acknowledge some pertinent facts about writing.

1. It is not financially or psychologically beneficial to write only one genre. Freelance work helps to alleviate financial worries. Taking time to read and write other works offers satisfaction, knowledge, and inspiration. 
2. Writing requires that you plan for every contingency. The phone will ring. The battery will die on your computer just as you remember to hit the 'Save' button. Have as many backup plans as you can imagine.
3. When a problem occurs -- and it will -- a writer must be prepare to try every applicable plan, then come up with new ones that actually work in the scenario. 
4. When you're on a roll The Bandit of Great Ideas will swoop in and whisk your time or inspiration away. He's much like the character Swiper from 'Dora the Explorer'. Sometimes he'll obey a firm "No!"
5. While it is always time to write, you must make time for everything else. Often, a writer is an unbalanced mix of recluse and socialite. Despite the tendency to get lost in reading and writing, it is even more important to get out there in the world and experience new places, new people, and new activities. After all, how can you write about Oktoberfest if you've never been?