Goodreads asked Deborah M. Gray:

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Deborah M. Gray Write because you want to, or need to, and not because you think it will be a quick way to fame and/or riches or the next bestseller. It may be; who knows. But this is not the case with most published books (never mind the ones that never see the light of day!) so you have to find the motivation and inspiration from within. Do it for yourself. Is this what you want to write? Is it authentic? Do you have something to say? It doesn't have to be original, but use your own voice to make it different.

Keep going. You don't have to have large blocks of time available to you to be successful. If you write in short bursts, but consistently, you will eventually finish. And remember that this is a career that requires patience, tolerance, perseverance and a thick skin. Don't take rejection or poor reviews personally. The former may be because it doesn't fit one person's notion of what will sell and the latter is just one reader's opinion.

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