Here are my discoveries as a new self-published author.
Thing 1: Go to as many writng conferences as you can afford. The writing world is like a college. There is so much to learn. There are dos and don'ts in everything such as identifying your main character, developing his or her motivations, their challenge(s), maintaining continuity of character, plot development, genre, word counts which are in line with genre expectations, querying agents, having a professional editor review your work, the list goes on and on.
Thing 2: Join community wirting organizations. There you will find sympathetic people, a shoulder to cry on, beta readers and critic groups. Go to the critic groups. Yes, your work will be criticized, but you will learn things from that input and that will make you a better writer.
Thing 3: Everyone is an author. Just like everyone is a real estate agent, an artist, a singer, etc. There are a large number of people who aspire to achieve that which you aspire to become. The odds are long, the road is hard, the failures are constant.
Thing 4: Everyone fails, everyone gets rejected. If your work is not being rejected, you are either not submitting the work for consideration or you are not finishing your writing projects because of fear of rejection. Every rejection is a badge of honor. It shows you made the effort. You tried!
Thing 5: The most import thing. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF! You have a story, a poem, an article,a non-fiction work you just have to have others read. Write the damn thing!!!! Even if just your friends read it, you have accomplished your goal.