31 Days of Rut-Busting Tips For Writers for 2025—Day 16

Combat Complacency.

Complacency is a dangerous disease that may infect any writer, especially after having a fair degree of writing success.

When that happens, you can start feeling a little smug or self-assured or even cocky—until your work is rejected because it just doesn’t meet the editor’s or client’s expectations.

Why? Because you haven’t been improving your skills or developing better techniques. In short, you haven’t stepped up your game.

There is no “finish line” when you’re a writer. W...