“Write to entertain yourself first. Because if you’re bored, your reader will be bored too. This applies even to client work with specific briefs and notes you may not actually agree with. Find a way to keep yourself interested and engaged and it’ll reflect in the work. Pander or try to write for an imagined audience and it will show.”
From 12 RULES FOR WRITING by Warren Ellis via his ORBITAL OPERATIONS newsletter.
“Write every day, but set a minimum boundary. Graham Greene only wrote 500 words a day. Some people set ten minutes of full focus a day. Putting your body in front of word-making materials for a period of time is the thing, and if that ever seems hard to you, think about Jean-Dominique Bauby, who had to dictate an entire book using only his left eye to signal with. Books are written only by the people who show up to write them, even if it’s only ten minutes a day.”
Also: “Always know when to leave the stage and what to leave behind.”
Many great tips from an expert in the field who's been around long enough to give it to you straight.