Although I am addressing this towards all aspiring writers, particularly creative writers, I am mostly directing this towards myself in the order that I personally need to hear these things. So, really, I’m saying that the ordering of them is arbitrary to everyone but me, haha. In any case…

1) No matter what the quality, something finished is better than something incomplete.
You can compare yourself to published writing like Twilight or Fifty Shades of Grey or whatever else all you want. The fact of the matter remains that those two books are complete and, if this point struck a chord with you, yours is not. Kind of stings to think of it that way, doesn’t it? But ultimately something complete means that someone managed to see it through to the end, and in the professional world, that means that it is marketable work and yours is not. Heck, even with fanfiction, people would be more willing to read complete multichapter fic of mediocre quality than an abandoned fantastic one that leaves off at the wrong place.

2) Know why you are writing this as a book/play/comic.
This one is for me specifically. I have this one story with great, flashy superpowers and a visually stunning color pallete and scenes that could make for fascinating experimentation with perspective. Unfortunately, it is currently written as a short story anthology. This is not the medium I should have chosen for this story that is so obviously deserving of being a comic book. Either I need to switch to a comic book or figure out how to alter my storytelling to justify it being written in prose.

3) A little planning goes a long way.
Writing is a long and arduous process. I completely understand why some people may not feel the desire to create detailed outlines – I, myself, often get bored of my own stories if I know exactly how it will pan out – but a brief sketch of main scenes can help you avoid walking into plot holes that you can’t climb back out of.

4) If you mean to publish, you’re writing for an audience
Sure, you might have a fantastic story all lined up, but does it make sense to someone who doesn’t know it inside and out? Are you telling it in an interesting way or just hoping that people will be interested? You have to make sure that your story is engaging and understandable to people who had nothing to do with its creation.

5) But you’re always writing for yourself
At the same time, the fact of the matter is that you are writing for yourself.  If you cater to an audience alone, you begin to lose your voice. Although you want to tell a story that other people can enjoy, it is essential that you also love the story yourself.