Writing as a serious undertaking

On a site the question was raised as to what leads to completed books, and this got me to thinking: what is serious writing?

My answer would be: the same as any other serious undertaking, be it a career, courtship, or training.  Writing, and more specifically plots, characters, and settings should be on your mind every day. You should do something to hone your craft or increase your arsenal of facts and ideas every single day.

Ideally you should write every day, but if that isn’t always possible, the drive for research and the search for inspiration should be present every single day. You never know what experience you have will be of value in future or even current projects.

I am not suggesting a single-minded obsession, but rather that writing be integrated into your life. You should set up a place to write as best as your circumstances allow, you should have a system of storing random ideas, facts, and inspirations, and in your free moments you should turn your thoughts to your projects.

Just as you would with a career, school, or a courtship. Make writing part of your life.