This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Charlotte Betts is the author of The Apothecary’s Daughter – winner of the 2013 Romantic Novelists’ Association RoNA for Historical Romantic Novel – as well as her latest book, The Painter’s Apprentice, recently gave us her top writing tips.
1) I always go for long solitary walks, while I’m working on the plot. The rhythmic pace seems to unlock the creative side of the brain.
2) Write every day – even if it’s only a sentence. That way the story is always in your mind and it’s not hard to start again.
3) Write an outline. I prefer an outline as a writing tool to a synopsis. You can write the whole novel in miniature and it makes it easier to see where it doesn’t work. You can make changes here without losing chapters of work.
4) Join a writing group. My own excellent group, WordWatchers, will give me truthful feedback and cheer me on when I can’t see the way forward.
5) Keep a notebook with you at all times. If you don’t write a brilliant idea down immediately, you’ll have forgotten it by teatime. I keep old notebooks and find them a useful source of inspiration.