This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Liz Harris' book THE ROAD BACK is published by Choc Lit. You can read our review here.
1. Read as much as you can, especially in the genre that you hope to write. There’s no better way to learn than to read the words of others.
2. Write for a short period every day, ideally at least 30 minutes. With our lives as busy as they are, if you wait for a stretch of a few clear hours, you might never get started.
3. Don’t canvass opinions too widely about what you’ve written, but do listen to the advice of someone you trust, who is in a position to know what they are talking about. Listening to critical advice, evaluating it and putting it into effect, is the best learning tool of all.
4. Read sections of your work aloud. There’s no better way of picking up awkward structures, repetitions, clunky dialogue.
5. Writing is a form of communication. Correct punctuation and grammar helps communication. Try to get it right at the editing stage, but don’t get bogged down with it when writing your early draft.