New Novel Writer

Ideally - create at least three versions or ideas from which to choose your final draft. Test them on prospective readers for feedback.

it's 'fading' - plus, as my copy-editor would say - it's 'lacking in colour'.

What will make your first page grab the attention of the reader or editor - to make them read on?

Interesting characters can even compensate for a thin story line or plot. If readers follow your main characters they will follow you.

Sometimes it works better if you write your introduction to the story AFTER you have finished your book. Here's how and why...

don't make (too many) expensive mistakes. My advice is - THINK SMALL.

A picture is worth 1,000 words, but you are confined to the written word so make sure you paint a colourful picture.

Making the essential revision of your writing ENJOYABLE as well as manageable - ensuring it is the best it can possibly be...

Enrich you storytelling - and your characters - by switching Viewpoint. Exercise this option when you conduct your revisions.

How book reviews can help you become a better writer. Appreciate the difference between - and the value of - good and bad reviews.

Using the poetry format to explore your short story idea forces you to condense your thoughts into fewer words.

Take a newspaper report, a news item, or a scientific article (say) and 'make up' a story based on the facts laid down before you.

Don't beat yourself up. Lower your own expectations - of yourself - loosen up, and take the pressure off yourself.

The best advice I can give is to read well-known authors (perhaps start with Dickens!) and note their different styles. You may even want t

The first assignment was always 'Write you own life story'. Submissions varied and, for some, that was all they ended up writing.

Some people worry when they run out of inspiration in the middle of their storytelling. I suppose this is another form of 'writer's block'.

You could also say 'Self-publish - save the planet'.

Unless you enjoy your own writing, it's unlikely that your readers will.

Make your own list of 'bad stuff' then drill down to their cause. They will always come back to cruelty.

Author's note BEFORE THE FIRST LOCK_DOWN in March I circulated this to major newspapers like The Times and Telegraph, as well as to Boris...