Viewing entries tagged
writing
James Patterson and John Grisham swear by it. Stephen King and Margaret Atwood are dead set against it. Outlining is not for every writer, nor is there one right way to outline your novel. As with all things writing, the trick is to find what works for you. To get you started, here are six tried and tested ways to outline a novel.
Whether your goal is to release more books, complete NaNoWriMo or get that first draft down before the idea evaporates, almost every writer would love to write faster. To make writing a viable career, you need to produce quality books regularly. And while a well-written book can take time, there are some habits that can help you speed up the process, without losing any of the quality.
It seems that anyone trying to make it in a creative field has at some stage struggled with the dark cloud of self-doubt. It hardly comes as a surprise when you are going against the mainstream, creating something from nothing and in many cases working in isolation. Putting your work out for public consumption means rejection is inevitable.
As a writer you must grow a thick skin and not waste a second of your time worrying what anyone else thinks of you. Build your self-confidence and you will be bullet-proof. Know the following on your journey.
Don’t be scared of making mistakes. Never stop learning. Highlight what makes you unique. Identify your voice early on. Read widely. Write voraciously. Cultivate a love of writing.
We asked authors for their number one piece of advice to novice writers. Here’s their answers.
Perseverance is the backbone of every successful author. The literary world is forged on tales of not giving up, from J.K. Rowling’s 12 rejection letters to Agatha Christie's five years of applying before landing a publishing deal. Every author I interviewed had something to say about perseverance. The ability to ‘keep going’ despite obstacles and set-backs is what sets successful authors apart from those that give up on their writing dreams.
It’s been an amazing year for WildMind Creative. We’ve had the opportunity to work with some exceptional authors and interview some outstanding writers. Coming into a fresh new year it’s the perfect time to look back over all the interviews we’ve done and consolidate what we’ve learnt. So without any further ado here are our key takeaways from a year of author interviews.
When you started out it was glorious but now those days are nothing more than a distant memory. If you have wandered off track, lost some motivation or pushed your book to the side now's the time to refocus. Here's five easy steps to get you back on track and on your way to finishing off that novel once and for all.
