This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
1. There’s no such thing as writer’s block, just fear that what you write won’t be good. But no one ever needs to see what you write, so, try this if you just can’t get started: Write about some object on your desk, describe it and how it got there, maybe it’s a souvenir you brought back from a trip, or a photograph of your loved one. That will warm you up and then you can get into your story.
2. Write about your passions, not about what’s popular, because by the time your book is published people will have moved on to the next trendy item.
3. Do not waste time worrying about how you’re going to get your book published until you have a final manuscript. If you can write a book, you can get it published.
4. Edit, edit, edit, edit, edit! That’s what writing is all about. When you have a final manuscript, ask one or two people who love to read to read your manuscript, but forbid them to tell you if it’s good or if they liked it. Ask them for specific critiques: areas that are boring, confusing, redundant, etc. Then, take their comments and edit again until it’s polished enough to show an agent or publisher.
5. Always have a pen and small notebook or smart phone and write ideas as they occur to you, or you will forget them.
The Wedding Gift by Marlen Suyapa Bodden is out now.