PHILLIP LOPATE: For one thing, give yourself a lot of time. Don't give yourself a deadline like, well, I better be a writer in a year or so, because it often takes a lifetime to make a writer. And you just need to keep writing. That is, even when you are not inspired or you're going in the wrong direction, you need to do it like finger exercises, the way a pianist practices a piano.
You need to put in the hours. There are a number of students I've had who are really gifted, but they couldn't find a way to be alone with themselves a lot. So sometimes somebody who's less gifted but can sit there and put in the hours can reach another place.
And then the other thing I'd say, which will sound glib, is, don't quit your day job. That is, don't expect to support yourself immediately by your writing, but learn some-- how to find another way of making a living. And also, in terms of your own writing, learn some subspecialties so that you can write about a lot of different subjects. This is particularly important for nonfiction writers. If they can just get some areas of expertise under their belt, then even when they are not inspired for their great work, they can keep being called on to write about different subjects.