So you've decided to be a writer?

Most Chinese parents will advise their children not to be an artist, writer, soldier or police. The reason for the first two is simple: you may starve to death while creating master pieces and the reason for the latter: you can die while on duty but with great honor. I guess to be a blogger is all right. In case you have decided to serve and share your thoughts, I find Richard Russell's advice is quite interesting how to be a sucessful writer(paid or unpaid).

"I've been asked a thousand times, 'What's the secret of success in the advisory business?'

(1) You've got to be an obsessive nut to start with.

(2) You have to be able to write in a way that people understand and like to read.

(3) You can't come across as a phony who knows it all. Readers know that nobody knows it all.

(4) It helps if you have a long life and don't want to retire.

(5) You need a wife who can put up with a husband whose head is full of the markets 24 hours, day and night.

(6) Woody Allen said the 90% of success in life is just showing up. If you can show up for the markets 250 days a year, you're ready to start an advisory service (but I wouldn't wish this business on my worst enemy -- it's the closest thing to absolute madness. No wonder nobody else has lasted in the business 50 years).

(7) This is a lonely business. So be prepared. Need a friend? Get a dog. Need two friends? Get two dogs.

(8) One last thing -- you must have thick skin, because no matter what you write, some subscriber will send an e-mail calling you a moron or brain-damaged, and the scary thing is, that makes you think, because they may be right."

Richard Russell has been in stock market newsletter(Dow Theory Letters) writing business for 50 years.