Writing a story, regardless of length, begins always with a single word.

A migraine is the cockblock of writing.

If you treat your characters like people, they'll reward you by being fully developed individuals.

Write about the thing that scares you most or your most private confession and you'll never have a problem coming up with decent fiction.

Regarding the creative: never assume you're the master, only the student. Your audience will determine if you're masterful.

A writer always writes.

If you focus on the humanity of your stories, your characters, then the horror will be stronger, scarier. Without the humanity, the horror becomes nothing more than a tawdry parlor trick. All flash and no magic, and worst of all, no heart.