Be Mean!

If you're a writer (and if you're reading this I imagine that you must be), then you know how important it is to create believeable and compelling characters. Sometimes good or even great characters are the result of intense soul-searching, the cobbling together of variuos acquaintances, or even a labor of love.
Either way, many of us put a lot of work into the creation of our literary characters. Then once we create the perfect character(s) for our story or novel, we become enamored and protective of them.
That just makes it harder to kill them.
Sorry, but oftentimes it is our best characters whose death propels the story forward. You don't want to, in fact every fiber of your being screams out for you to have mercy. But somewhere in the back of your mind, you know you just have to be MEAN and do him or her in. Stephen King is a strong proponent of this, urging writers to, "Kill your darlings." Manuel Melendez did a great job of this in his novel, "When Angels Fall," by killing off the detective in his story almost at the book's end.
So yes, please work hard at creating your endearing, believeable, loveable, and realistic characters. Then be mean and kill them.

To free or not to free, that is the question

It is apparently the nature of humankind to try and obtain the coveted, but ever elusive, freebie. Oh, you know what I'm talking about. It turns out that if you're a person with a skill (doctor, lawyer, plumber, artist, writer, etc.), folks want you to share what you know.
  I've been guilty of it in the past, and just chalked it up to me getting some helpful tips... which they were. But some folks don't know when to quit and insist on more than mere tips. If you crochet, they want full-blown lessons and even free yarn. If you write, they want free critiques, editing services, or even your *ahem* help in writing their book or novel.
  So what do you do? That's entirely up to you, there's nothing wrong with sharing some knowledge or passing along some helpful hints. But there is something wrong with being taken advantage of. Your hard-earned skillset, whatever it is, deserves to be acknowledged and rewarded. The same way you wouldn't expect a car mechanic to fix your car for free (unless you got the hook-up), is the same way that folks shouldn't expect you to speak, critique, edit, write, or teach without some sort of honorarium or financial remuneration. The late and venerable poet, Louis Reyes Rivera of the National Writers Union, was a strong and outspoken proponent of this. Unfortunately many uninformed people consider those of us that work in the arts to be indulging in hobbies rather than actual "work", so they don't understand why we'd like to get paid.
  Ultimately it's your decision of course, but I'd urge you not to sell yourself, or your art, short.