This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
1. Thinking about your work is just as important as writing it so don’t beat yourself up if you aren’t sat at your computer bashing out thousands of words. I find that letting my brain mull things over as I get on with other stuff gives ideas room to breathe and, ultimately, makes for better writing.
2. Don’t dread writing. If you build it up into an exercise in torture, then the best thing you can do is sit down and get on with it. Things get worse if you put them off. And you feel a sense of achievement once you’ve done it. Think of it as a release, or an escape, and then you will come to look forward to it.
3. Social media. I find Twitter invaluable for ideas, making friends and seeing other points of view. It’s also a great tool if you spend the day alone writing – I see it as a virtual office.
4. Be realistic. It’s easy to be overcome with doom or soaring high when you get feedback about your work. But my experience, and I think for most other authors, is that each slab of work is part of the learning curve. The likelihood of getting a bestseller on your first book is very slim. Enjoy your achievement instead and make sure you get a daily dose of perspective.
5. Take breaks. Once you’ve sat down to write, try to give it your all then get up and do something else. I find this helps me refocus when it comes to sitting back down again. Keep them brief though, have a cup of tea, watch a bit of something you’ve recorded, pop out – whatever it is, you need to step out of your writing to develop it.
Laura Kemp’s new book, Mums on Strike, is out now.