What cautions do you have for wannabe writers?

What cautions do you have for wannabe writers?

Russell Celyn Jones (Published writer. Professor of Creative Writing and Director of the MA Programme at Birkbeck College (University of London).) gives expert video advice on: What advice do you have for writers just starting out?; What cautions do you have for wannabe writers?; Is it true that 'everyone has a novel in them'? and more...

One warning I would say to anybody setting up to write is to try to manage their expectations of what they will achieve. You have to love the game. The expectation which should be avoided is "Will I be famous? Will I be a bestseller?" Really, you're trying to be ambitious for the book itself: "How can I write the best book I'm capable of?"