CHAPTER 1

In the beginning

Need an intro? Here's mine.

'I wish I knew then what I know now.' Have you ever said that?If so I'm here to help.

I'm going to pass on what I've learned over thirty years ofwriting.

Some of these tips and snippets of advice may not work foryou. Or they may work but only some of the time. Manycontradict each other because that's the way writing goes – thereare no hard and fast rules in writing. What works for one personwill do nothing for another. What works one day may not workthe next.

Every time we sit down to write the process may be different.

If there is one Golden Rule it is not to beat yourself up aboutyour work.

A lifetime ago I read an article on how to write a best-seller.The author of this piece gave advice which included alwaysusing green ink, standing on your head in the shower to writeand to be sure to commit suicide a week before their book cameout. (Not advised here.)

Now, fancy me remembering that! It could be proof that mydaftest tips will stick with you. Forever. It may be that the silliestwill work for you. Often. All I can say is that they've all workedfor me, even if it was only the once.

Coming out

At some point you will want or feel the need to tell others whatyou are doing. 'I want to be a writer.' Or 'I am a writer.'

One of my all-time favourite quotes comes from Molière whosaid,

'Writing is like prostitution.
First you do it for the love of it,
Then you do it for a few friends
And finally you do it for money.'

Some people write in secret simply because they love the act ofwriting and they want to put their thoughts and ideas down onpaper or up on screen. That's doing it for love but how long canyou spend locked away on your own before a family memberwants to know what you are up to? At some point, unless you livealone and can keep Big Secrets, you will want to come out andadmit that you are writing. This is when you begin sharing yourwork with a few friends and we all know friends will tell youhow good you are and how you should get published. This is thestage when you might join other writers at a club or group orclass and, when you are good enough, they might encourage youto write for money.

So the stages of writing are:

1. for Love

2. for Friends

3. for Money

We all need to hold on to stage one. Lots are happy with stagetwo. Many dream of stage three. Some reach it and end up happy,earning money by doing something they love.

There's nothing wrong with any of the above as long as youare happy being at whatever stage you've reached.

The best advice ever

Find the market first. Write the product next.

Write about what you know

It's what all new writers are told and it does make life easier. Ifyou know a subject then you don't need to do any/as muchresearch.

Work out what you actually do know. Try making a list. Addhobbies, interests, jobs ... in fact you know such a lot because it'sall down to personal experience and the longer you've lived themore personal experience you've had.

I bet you don't realise how wise and clever you are.

Write about what you don't know

Learn by exploring unfamiliar areas. Check out the non-fictionsection of the local library. Take up a new sport or hobby. Learnand write about it. Use your imagination and invent a whole newworld.

Try to learn something new every day. Visit a new place.Make a new friend. Try out a new word. Have a new experience.(Make it a legal one.)

Not in your head

Many people write books in their heads. Make sure yours iswritten on screen or paper.

Kissing babies

I always did it discreetly. Kissing.

Standing near the post box I would take a good look aroundto make sure no-one was watching. Non-writers wouldn't understandif they saw me plant my lips on the large envelope beforedropping it into the post box. They'd think I was mad. Kissinglottery tickets is okay but members of the non-writingcommunity don't understand about manuscripts.

I often wondered if any eagle-eyed receptionist, whose job itwas to open the post in the mornings, wondered what the PeachCrush smudge on the envelope was. It's not a good way to blotone's lippie. But my babies were always kissed before being sentout into that big wide world. Why? Because that's what I didwith the very first piece I submitted and it was accepted so itstands to reason, doesn't it, that every one after that needed to bekissed to stand any chance of success.

Now, when most work is delivered via email, I still pucker upbefore pressing SEND, and blow a good luck kiss into the ether.

Superstitious? Moi? Probably, but if it works then why not doit? It's a bit like a footballer always putting his left sock on first,or a cyclist eating the same meal before every big race.

Writers know how important that envelope, or emailattachment, is to them. If they could cast spells then theyprobably would. If you had a magic wand wouldn't you wave itover each and every piece of work you sent out? But these thingsare best performed in the privacy of one's own home so kiss yourbaby before leaving the house.

Don't expect to sell the film rights

It's what new writers think will happen. And it may, so do keepthe intention firmly in mind.

Letting go

Many writers never send their work out and I can sympathise.Many years ago my knees would knock at the thought of sendinga story, article or whatever out into the world.

Letting go (posting or emailing) means that your work isfinally on its way to be judged. Will it be good enough for publication?Or is it not up to scratch? Dropping it through that slotmeans that sooner or later you will find out. It's not an easy thingto do and I have known a few good writers who sadly neverreached that stage. Threats to break into their houses at night,steal their work and send it out on their behalf didn't work either.

When my first piece of work was submitted I consoled myselfwith the fact that my chosen...