This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Jessica Thompson is the author of Three Little Words, which is out now as an ebook.
1) Know when not to write. If you’re tired, or worried about something, you won’t always be able to just sit down and make miracles happen. Know when to seize creativity and when to step away.
2) Get a good agent. Working with Sheila [Crowley of Curtis Brown] has been fantastic, and it’s great to have someone to talk to who knows the industry so well and can give you great advice.
3) Avoid distractions. I tend to work best in a library without being connected to the Internet. It’s not good to be distracted by things like social media and emails because it constantly breaks your train of thought.
4) Be thick skinned. Some people won’t love your work, and that’s absolutely ok. Take the best pointers from constructive criticism but do accept that no single book will appeal to everyone.
5) Be ambitious with your writing. Give yourself new challenges and learn new things all the time. If you excel in novel writing, give short stories a go. If you normally like short stories, try script writing. It’s a craft and there’s always room to keep learning. Look out for our full interview with Jessica coming next week!