Books to fall in love with

On writing….

Writing is rewarding but it’s also hard work. Like most things, inspiration is only the start and to reach a final, polished piece of writing also requires stamina and a willingness to learn.

There is no right or wrong way to write a book, just YOUR way. Even for best selling authors, some books are easier to write while others feel a never-ending slog. Some are carefully planned while others grow organically and go in unexpected directions. There are lots of ‘how-to’ books on writing available - I’d recommend On Writing by Stephen King - but in the end there is no substitute for bum on seat and putting words on the page (or screen!). Books don’t write themselves. ‘On Writing’ tells you to get your story down from start to finish. It doesn’t matter if its rough and ready (writers refer to the first draft as the dirty draft for this reason) it’s easier to edit when it’s complete.

Try to write little and often and you’ll soon have a 70,000 word manuscript. That said, don’t be too hard on yourself if you find you are struggling with other things in your life and these are affecting your writing. Take a breath, walk away from the manuscript, read books and when things improve you can return to your writing.

Here are some tips to help you on the way:-

Write about what you know and what you enjoy. If you don’t write from the heart and care about your writing, neither will your reader.


Try to write regularly to keep your ‘writing muscle’ exercised. You can always improve on what you have written; you can’t improve on a blank page.


Read! To learn the craft of writing, you should read and not only for pleasure. Study those authors whose work you like and analyse their technique. Look at how they use dialogue and description, make their characters come to life, grab the reader’s interest and hold their attention, resolve conflict and bring the story to a satisfying conclusion.

Don’t let anyone discourage you and don’t compare yourself to anyone else. 


Have faith in your characters, your story and yourself but also be prepared to learn from your mistakes and judge your work with a critical eye. 


Always keep a notebook handy for jotting down ideas and overhead conversations – you never know when they might be useful.


Allow thinking time as well as writing time. Give the plot and characters time to develop before you begin to write and if you can take time to plan and work out the rough shape of your novel. Time spent planning is rarely wasted.


Finally, and perhaps most important of all, persevere. 


The UK Romantic Novelists’ Association has a New Writers’ Scheme which offers a critique on a romance novel manuscript and I highly recommend joining. More details here.

HAPPY WRITING!