This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
1. Keep going. The world is full of people who are going to write that book when they get the time. Anyone can write a chapter or two, but it’s finishing the book that makes you a writer.
2. Choose who you share your work with carefully, and be prepared to take criticism. I will only show my work in progress to someone I respect, who I think will tell me the truth. If I’m not ready to hear what they have to say about it, I’m not ready to show it.
3. Don’t talk too much about your story in the early stages. It can be really tempting to do this, especially if you’re excited about your characters. But if you talk too much about the plot, it opens it up to others when you’re not ready for input, and it also drains some of the precious inspiration and energy you’ll need to write it.
4. Give yourself space to write. I find it really hard to do this, but it’s impossible to lose yourself in your writing if you’re checking Twitter or thinking about answering emails. Try and carve out some time when you can forget everything else.
5. Don’t be too hard on yourself. When you’re knee-deep in edits, it’s easy to forget that you’re writing because you want to. Don’t be too critical of yourself until you finish the first draft. Remember you’re writing because you love it.
Sophia’s debut novel, The Silversmith’s Wife, is out now.