Talking with my friends and family every day helps keep me grounded and connected to home. They are the most important things to me.
Be careful how you spend your time: Spend your time in nothing which you know must be repented of.
Generally I finish a first draft in 2-6 months, then I set it aside for a while so that when I come back to it I can read it with fresh eyes and figure out how to improve it.

