As a writer, you often get asked for your top writing
tips. I’ve compiled the ones I’ve given out so far in one handy list:
·
Search
for information online
There’s
so much advice readily available for writers! I spent a lot of time online
searching for tips and ‘How To’ books, and I attended some workshops which were
really useful.
·
Get
social media savvy
I find social
media a Godsend. It’s an amazing source of support that I would advise writers
to tap in to because writing can feel a lonely process at times, particularly
when you’re first starting out.
·
Join
a writing group
This can be beneficial as gaining feedback
is invaluable. I would say, however, that you might receive a lot of differing
advice, so in the end it’s about learning what will work for you and what won’t
– I think there’s an element of trial and error here!
·
DO
NOT rush to submit your work to agents
It’s so exciting to have finished a novel,
so much so that it can be hard to hold back! But agents receive so many
submission packages you don’t want to give them an easy reason to reject yours.
Make sure you read the individual agent’s requirements, have a strong covering
letter, a succinct synopsis to the length they ask, and make sure your opening
chapters are polished, polished, polished! I DID send my work too early and
received a number of rejections quite quickly. Then I was lucky enough to have
my work edited by a newly qualified editor and afterwards I began getting
requests for my full manuscript. It can be costly, but personally I think it’s
worth it.
·
Enter
competitions
I entered my opening chapters of Saving
Sophie (then titled Portrayal) into the CWA Debut Dagger award and was
longlisted. It was an amazing feeling to have my work recognised. Being placed
in a competition validates you as a writer and gives a huge boost to your
confidence. Even though my agent was already interested in my writing, I
believe that being able to tell her I’d been longlisted was a factor in her
decision to sign me.
·
Learn
the art of patience
You’ll
need a lot of it (although I’ve yet to master this myself!)
·
Learn
to take constructive criticism
But
also know that a dozen people could read your MS and each one of them might
suggest a different way to ‘improve’ it. You have to try and be subjective, sit
back, think about the comments you’ve been given – if there are similarities,
then it’s likely that part of your MS is an issue that needs reworking. But DO
NOT change your MS after each and every bit of feedback. You’ll end up in a
mess. If you can, get a professional editor, or use a manuscript assessment
service. I was lucky to have an editor who had just qualified and was taking on
work in order to gain experience. I realise this was great timing – and a lot
of people won’t get such good luck. But money spent at this stage could prevent
a lot of heartache later down the line when the rejections roll in!
·
Tell
yourself every day that you are a writer
Act
like one, and you will be one! Grit, determination and self-belief are key.
·
Get
organised and make time to write
Although
I’m giving this tip – I am the world’s worst and need to heed my own advice.
When people ask ‘So, you write full time then?’ and I answer ‘yes’, I’m sure
they think that I do nothing other than sit at my keyboard and hammer out page
after page of a novel. But there is so much more to being a writer than that.
You might like to visit a blog piece I wrote on fitting everything in:
(HERE)
The key, I think, is to have a schedule that fits around your everyday life –
and do your best to stick to it!
·
Don’t
forget to eat properly, drink and exercise!
I
have been known to get to 4pm and realise I have only consumed coffee and
chocolate bars. Add the sedentary lifestyle of sitting for hours at your desk,
and you have a very unhealthy writer! Take regular breaks.
·
Write
what you love to read
Coming
up with around 90,000 words will be far easier if you are enjoying it. Your
readers will be able to tell if you are bored, and they will be too. Skip the
boring parts.
Above
all – ENJOY WRITING AND NEVER GIVE UP!
You can purchase SAVING SOPHIE on Amazon from
UK - Here
USA - Here
CANADA - Here
