Laini Taylor — American Author born on December 30, 1971,

Laini Taylor is an American young-adult fantasy author. She is best known for the Karou or Daughter of Smoke and Bone series, whose third book appeared in 2014... (wikipedia)

It's easy to get published once you have written a really good book and the hard part, 99 percent of what you need to worry about, is really finishing it.
The main thing I've learned is that we all have to learn to work with - and appreciate - the brain we've been given, and not waste time wishing things were easier.
The biggest challenge for me has been in coping with my perfectionism. I have a stiflingly hard time moving forward in a project if it's not 'just right' all along the way. The trap I so easily fall into is rewriting and rewriting the same scenes over and over to make them perfect, instead of continuing on into the wild unknown of the story.
I think with world building, it's important to create a sense of culture even if it is just a fantasy, and the best way to do that is to look at a real human culture and see what makes it cohesive.
Never sit staring at a blank page or screen. If you find yourself stuck, write. Write about the scene you're trying to write. Writing about is easier than writing, and chances are, it will give you your way in.