(1) Work closely on your technique.
(2) Separately, develop your mind and character.
(3) When you write, write freely, as you want to, following your own interests.
(4) Work hard; be painstaking in your revision.
(5) Be patient; let time go by if you have to.
(6) Disregard what other people may think (but not what they may feel).
— Lydia Davis, Essays (One)