30 things every writer must do before they turn 30

Well, my youth is over.

I’ve become the “Big 3-Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-how-did-that-happen-so-fast?”

I’ve been writing professionally for a lot of those years. Here are a few things I’m glad I did before today rolled around.

And please share: What would you add to the following list?

1. Subscribe to Cosmo. Don’t be a magazine snob. Cosmo will teach you everything you need to know about writing headlines.

2. Learn how to play an instrument. You’ll learn how to write rhythmically.

3. Freelance. If you’re a journalist, you’re constantly pitched stories. See if you can pitch one of your own.

4. Write in a different country. When everyone around you is speaking a different language, what would you say on paper?

5. Get yourself invited to cover some fun stories. My Ragan.com editor and I spent a summer covering the best galas in the city.