A writing career is basic maths – you write 1000 words a day, you have a book in 100 days. 500 words a day means a book in 200 days. If you break the big task into smaller, more manageable bites, it doesn’t seem so insurmountable. 

You cannot let the need to be good stop you from trying. A lot of my content is garbage when it first comes out, but I am willing to stare the garbage in the face and make it better.

Hold your nose and write. When you start to write, your work will be terrible. Everyone’s is. And you’ll know it because you’re a reader. Keep at it. Save everything. Trust me: today’s crap is tomorrow’s compost.

Writing was something I’ve always loved in theory, but it felt like a pipe dream. Beyond the shaky economics of the profession, writing meant putting myself out there in ways that can be really, really uncomfortable. Writing a story and sending it out into the world is a humbling, unnerving, terrifying thing. Did I really want to roll over and show the world my underbelly? Did I dare?

I don’t outline at all. I feel like outlining is one of the biggest mistakes writers make. Typically, when people follow outlines and formulas, they write boxy, predictable stories, so I usually start with a moral dilemma and an interesting character and I stick them into a difficult situation and see how they respond.

Persist and accept that your first draft will probably be awful. And maybe your second draft (mine are!) By the time you are reading a published book, it has been through so many edits and so many hands that it can be unrecognizable in comparison to the first draft.

Only write what you are passionate about not what you think can sell. By the time it is finished and submitted the trend will have moved on anyway.

I try not to focus on trends...because things are subject to change in an instant. So it’s very much, for me, about how good the book is and if I know I can sell it.

I have learnt to sit down and write, anytime and anywhere. It’s an important lesson: I see too many writers who wait for inspiration instead of just sitting down writing. You can always rewrite and improve a story. You can’t do that with a blank page.

Reframe in your mind how you can have a productive writing session, rather than waiting until you have a whole day... When I finally changed my mindset to ‘a little and often’ approach everything immediately began to come together.

The primary practice of a successful author is treating writing like a job, meaning you discipline yourself to keep at it even when it feels hard and the inspiration isn't coming.

If you love writing don’t give up on it. The people who rise to the top in this industry are not necessarily the most talented; they are the ones who work their butts off and don’t give up. They see obstacles not as dead ends, but as challenges.

You can’t edit a blank page. It can be terrifying staring at a blank page, especially when starting a new book, but if you don’t put something on that page, how can you go back later and polish it into a literary gem?

I find myself incredibly inspired after finishing a good book. There's a spark that comes with wanting to become a better, funnier writer.

Guard your creative time and space. If you aren’t writing no other advice matters.

Some of my best writing days have been days where I just wasn’t feeling it. I put my butt in the chair, powered up the computer and hit it. If you do that every day, your productivity will astound you.

What you publish has got to be more compelling to readers than a TV show, a night out with friends, or a nap. Why should someone choose your writing over everything else in their lives?

There’s always something to take me away from writing—a flight, a mission, or artwork for a new product. Sitting down at the computer to write takes a daily commitment to fight the distractions. It’s anything but routine.

Don’t do what I did. In other words, don’t give up. The only way to guarantee failure is to stop trying.

I was drawn into the world of literature by default when my sister's growing collection of books in our tiny room began to overflow onto my bed. Bewildered by her fascination with these musty, decaying volumes, I decided to experience them for myself—and instantly fell in love.

If you love writing, if you feel it’s something you’re supposed to do, put aside the time to make it happen and assemble a team around you that will support your dream.

The review was wonderful. And, after years of trying to get published, after two novels that essentially fizzled, after all the hope and wondering…seeing my book in that magazine meant so much.

The market is tight and publishers are more cautious than ever about their purchases... This makes it difficult to break-in but there is always room for a fresh premise told well.

My number one rule of writing is always to write as though no one will ever read it. Because it allows you to be as bold and audacious and set aside the fear that so often plagues writers.

I fell into banking as an adult and I used to try to make my business memos interesting and funny out of sympathy for the poor bankers and customers and vendors who had to read them. Sometimes people would say, “Jamie, you write the best memos. You should be a writer.” And yet, it still didn’t occur to me to actually try it until I was in my thirties.

I represent authors who do both traditional publishing and self-publishing, and most of them are looking to move into traditional publishing because the pace and demand of a successful self-publishing platform takes its toll after a while. But, some authors thrive on it! It’s a personal decision based on the goals and needs of each author.

I’m a horrible procrastinator. I have the worst time starting new chapters or scenes, and I just force myself to sit in front of my blank screen and just type whatever I need to in order to get started.

Breathe, enjoy it. You’re chasing a dream and whether you’re in the valley or the mountaintop, being a dream chaser makes you the luckiest person in the world.

I don’t really believe in writer’s block—writing is a job just like any other. Your dentist doesn’t decide she can’t fill your cavity today because she’s “blocked”. She does the job, and so must you!