Robert Heinlein's rules for writing

I came across this while listening to George R R Martin on a podcast.

Robert Heinlein was asked many times what it takes to become a professional writer. So he published his five rules:

  1. You must write.
  2. You must finish what you write.
  3. You must refrain from rewriting, except to editorial order.
  4. You must put the work on the market.
  5. You must keep the work on the market until it is sold.

While these were intended for authors, they can equally be applied to any creative endeavour - for instance design:

  1. You must design stuff - don’t just talk about it.
  2. Finish what you design.
  3. Don’t endlessly rework i.e. you can’t polish a turd.
  4. Market what you do.
  5. Don’t be discouraged by the first rejection.

Pretty simple yet sound advice!