This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
1. Read – all great writers are great readers. It teaches you so much about plotting, characters, structure and good writing.
2. Write. A lot of people say that they’d love to write if they had the time. Make the time. Stick your bum to the chair and get on with it!
3. Write as often as you can, that way the story stays fresh in your mind.
4. Finish your book. The world is full of half-finished novels.
5. Never give up. If you truly want to be a writer, don’t let anyone or anything stand in your way. And if you fail the first time around, if your first novel is rejected, learn from the experience and write another. My favourite quotation is this: Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. It goes for all things in life, including writing.
Sarah's latest novel, The Memory Box, is out now.