This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
1. Read, read, read, write, write, write.
2. Be curious. People often say to write what you know. But I think you need to write about what you want to know.
3. You’ll be working on a book for years, so make sure you’re absolutely passionate about the subject and in love with your characters or you won’t make it to the end.
4. Let it rest. Leave a manuscript alone for three months (longer, even), and read it again. Then you’ll know if you love it, if it’s got potential, and if you want to keep going to the next draft, or whether you should let it go and move on to a new manuscript.
5. Learn how to edit and know what to focus on at each stage (structural edits, copy edits, proofreading).
The Tea Chest by Josephine Moon is out now.