10 QUICK TIPS FOR WRITERS

1 – When you’re writing, remember to turn off your internal editor.   You need to get the words on the page without criticizing yourself.  Later you can edit.  But first you have to write.

2 – Forgive yourself on the days you don’t get round to writing.  It’s meant to be a pleasure, not a chore.  That doesn’t mean you should never make yourself do it, just don’t give yourself a hard time if you forget.

3 – Think of a blank page like an unexplored country.  Your imagination is the map.

4 – If a story wakes you up in the night, get out of bed and write it down.

5 – Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and can’t put on the page.  You can worry later on about whether you’re going to hurt someone’s feelings, but before you get to the stage of publishing, remember you have to write the words down first. Write as if no-one’s going to read it.  Edit for readers, later (see number 1).

6 – Try new forms.  If a story isn’t working, try it as a poem or as a play.

7 – If you’re stuck, make one of the characters DO something.  Make them leave the room to go and buy milk, or get into the car and drive somewhere, or get out of the car and slam the door, or ANYTHING.  Get the story moving again.

8 – When it’s time to edit, work really hard.  Only when the book is as good as you can possibly make it is it time to show an editor.

9 – Rejection should never stop you from writing or sending out work.  Consider it part of the job.

10 – Once something is published, it is out of your hands for good.  Let it go.  Move on.  Write more.  And read, read, read.