This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
1. Read a lot. You won’t realise it but you will absorb what you are reading and it will help you. Also, after I read a book, I sketch out a mini mind map for myself about the book, its plot and main characters and asked if it ‘worked’ for me. Figure out who the main POV characters are, did the ‘voice’ engage you?
2. Write! It’s that simple. Don’t spend too much time procrastinating.
3. Read books on How To Write, learn from other author blogs and so on – and log on to Novelicious for inspiration and advice!
4. If your m/s has been critiqued, then leave it for a few days and go back to the critique. You need to really look at any criticism without getting emotional.
5. Once you have written your first draft, step back from it. Leave it for a few days or even a week to ‘cool’. When you read it again, you’ll see things with fresh eyes.
Jacaranda Wife by Kendra Smith is out now.