Publication. It's the goal. It's what you do everything for. Or is it? You don't have to publish your work. You can write for yourself and never show it to anyone else—and that's okay! In fact, it's great! Writing is a private act of self-expression, and you should be able to do it any way you want.

How can you write a good story? A big secret: feeling it. This is the absolute secret sauce for me. The more I can feel a story the better I can write it and the more likely I am to actually finish it. This is the invisible, intangible magic of writing. These are the hours spent on Pinterest and constructing the perfect playlist.

First drafts are their own special kind of hell. Some writers love them and some writers, like myself, can't wait until they're done and the rewriting can begin. Let's break down the top 5 reasons making them more difficult than they need to be.