This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
1. Give yourself a deadline, preferably with a friend who will yell at you if you are late. This way writing becomes part of your urgent to do list and not something you will get around to when you have time. We never have time anymore.
2. Don’t worry about the perfect sentence, because there isn’t one. A finished book is always better than 30k words collecting virtual dust in your computer. Nice sentences are what editing time is for.
3. When I have writer’s block, which is far more often than I would like, I tend to go for a run or clean up (which I never do normally so my writer’s block is pretty evident to my boyfriend). Doing something physical and routine helps the back of my brain sort out what it is supposed to while front of house gets some other work done. It’s far more productive than sitting and staring at a blinking cursor.
4. Read good writers! I find that the mood and quality of a book I’m reading tends to find it’s way into my manuscript so I try and make sure I read stuff that goes with what I want to write.
5. Go out and explore the world. It’s hard to find inspiration cooped up in a room at a desk. I take my writing on the road and find inspiration in all sorts of strange places.
Stephanie’s first novel, The Accidental Socialite, is out today.