Hey all…

so I’ve been doing this writing thing seriously for four years now. I’ve learned a few things, and so for this month’s Love Bytes column, I thought I’d pass along my knowledge for other writers who might just be getting started.

1. Write What You Love

Some folks manage to hop on the latest writing trend and make a mint. But most people who try fall flat on their face, or end up writing things that drain them instead of feeds them. Instead, try finding something you love and write that. If you want writing to be your vocation and not just another job, follow your passion. You’ll be a better writer for it, and your readers will feel it.

2. Don’t Read Your Goordreads or Amazon Reviews

Or if you do, bring along a friend and a bottle of whiskey to buffer the pain. We writers are notoriously thin-skinned. We wear our art on our sleeves, and one nasty review can obliterate ten five stars. Be VERY careful checking your reader reviews, especially at first. The writers who quit after reading one horrible review are legion. Don’t be one of them.

3. Know Where You Are Going

When you start writing a new story, try to have an idea what the story will be and how it will end. You don’t have to plot the whole thing out in exhaustive detail (unless you’re into that kinda thing). But unless you’re a hugely talented pantser (and yeah, there are a few out there), you’ll do better if you know where you’re going to end up.

4. Always Doubt Yourself

Okay, so this sounds bad. But I mean it in a good way. Be humble and know that you can always improve your craft. I had the fortune to not hit it big with my first novel. It’s easy when you find great success to start believing in your own mythology. But a healthy streak of self doubt keeps you striving to be better.

5. Learn The Rules

There are a lot of rules to writing – and a lot of strong publisher and editor preferences. Since I’ve come back to writing, I’ve learned that double spaces between sentences are out, that I should never use semicolons and rarely should use adverbs. Writiers no longer underline italics, and hardly ever use “he said” or “she said.” So learn the rules first. But here’s the thing, Once you know the rules, you can break them. You just need to know why you’re doing it, and do it or effect.

6. Write Consistently, and Pace Yourself

It doesn’t matter if you write for fifteen minutes a day or for five hours,. What does matter is that you find a regular schedule that works for you, and then stick to it. Every chunk of time you put in adds another brick or two to the wall of your story, and when you do it consistently, you stay focused on the characters and the plot. If you are under a deadline, figure out how many words you need to write, and how many you’ll need to do per day, and work to that goal. Doing 1,000 words a day is a lot easier than doing 20,000 the last week. Believe me, I’ve done both.

7. Always Be Nice

Sometimes you’ll get a really awful review. Sometimes you’ll have someone attack you for no apparent reason. Sometimes a publisher will reject your book or story. When any of these things happen, put on a smile and thank them for taking the time to consider you. I’m kinda weird when it comes to mean people – generally speaking, the meaner you are to me, the nicer I become. Be the adult in the room, and cultivate a few close friends who won’t mind when you need to vent, and keep your public face happy and friendly, even when you bleed.

8. Support Your Fellow Writers

If you have a blog, offer it up for announcements of your writer friends’ works, especially those who have audiences that overlap with yours. Cheer your fellow writers on when they have triumphs and console them when they fall. Build the community you want to be a part of.

9. When You Send Your Book Off, The Work is Just Beginning

If you self publish your work or if you work with a publisher, you’re still going to need to do your own marketing. Most publishers will do something for you, but you have a much better shot at success if you get out there and do some self promotion too. Find Facebook groups to join and become a regular. Check out Twitter and Instagram and Pinterest and see if they are for you. Make friends with bloggers and reviewers and plan a book tour. And go to cons if you can – they are a great place to make and cement friendships.

10. Celebrate the Wins

You’ll have enough heartache and disappointment in your life as an author. So when you sell a book, or have one come out, or get a great review, stop and savor the moment. Get yourself a chocolate bar or glass of champagne. Go out to dinner with your honey. Take a long bubble bath. Whatever makes you happy.

If you’re just starting out as an author, I hope these tips help. Most of all, just keep going. You can do this. 🙂