Your Results Will Mirror Your Commitment

'You may be so new to the writing game that you're unsure even what to call yourself. Are you a novice? A beginner? It doesn't matter. You are what you say you are. If you have decided to be a writer, you're a writer, published or not. We all have to start somewhere. Beginners often lament that the door is closed except to the big names. But think about it: who were the big names before they were published? Nobodies. Get serious about your career by declaring yourself a writer. Do it now and don't look back. If doing so makes you waver or doubt yourself, maybe you're not cut out for writing. If you're looking for reasons to quit, there are plenty. If you are determined to write no matter what, you're what the publishing world is looking for. Your results will mirror your commitment. Put in the necessary time and do the rewrites to make your own success inevitable. Make your own breaks. That's what separates hobbyists from real authors. Study, do the research, develop a thick skin, work hard, learn to take editing and learn to edit yourself. Have you arrived yet? Neither have I.'
--from Jerry B. Jenkins' Writing for the Soul--Instruction and Advice from an Extraordinary Writing Life.