I’ve been in a writing mood recently, which is great from my point of view. Today, I wrote “the end” on my current work in progress. Since my mind is in the groove, I thought I’d give some advice to aspiring authors.
1. Sit down and write every day. Make writing into a good habit.
2. Join a writing group, either a chapter or an online community for support.
3. Read and read widely. Analyze books that work for you and those that don’t. Use them as a learning tool.
4. Make a point to learn about websites and social media.
5. Enter writing competitions to help yourself improve and also to give yourself a writing deadline.
6. Research markets, agents and editors to familiarize yourself with what publishers and agents are looking for. This will help you narrow down who to submit your book to. If you’re thinking about self-publishing learn as much as you can about the process.
7. Keep a record of how much you can comfortably write each day. Knowledge of your possible output will help you once you’re published and facing deadlines.
8. Take online classes and attend conferences to learn as much as you can. I’ve been published for a while now, and I’m still learning!
9. When it comes to actual plotting, try all the different methods. Plotting, pansting and in between until you find a method that works for you.
10. There is no right or wrong way to write a book. There is only your way.
11. Find a critique partner/s to help critique your work and critique other writers’ work. This is a learning process too.
12. Once you’ve completed and polished your book send it off to your chosen publisher or agent. While you’re waiting, start work on your next book. If you’re self-publishing, complete the publishing process and start work on the next book.
13. Celebrate each success because writing is a difficult business and plain hard work.
Do you have any suggestions to add to my list?