This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
1. First tip, read a lot. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.
2. Second tip, again, an agent really is your first port of call, and I’d advise anyone starting out to secure and agent first and they’ll know exactly which publisher might be interested in the type of book you’re writing. It’s kind of like matchmaking really; connecting the right author to the right publisher.
3. Third tip, I know it’s tough working a full-time job and writing on the side, but it can be done. So many authors (myself included,) started out doing completely different jobs and still wrote in their spare time. If you have a story to tell, no matter how busy your life is, you’ll find the time. Even if it means the dreaded early morning alarm going off every morning, you’ll find a way. So many would-be authors say to me: “I’d love to do it … if I had more time.” And I always say, you’ll never have more time, this is it. This is all we get. It’s up to us to make the time. Somehow.
4. Fourth tip is to read your work aloud. I’m constantly astonished by the amount of grammatical mistakes and repetitions I make and this really helps me clear all that up no end.
5. My last and final tip is to enjoy. Love every precious minute you get to spend with your characters, because if you do, then your reader will too.Love Me Or Leave Me by Claudia Carroll is out now.