Have you been struggling to find the motivation to write your first book? Maybe it’s been a pipe dream for years? Perhaps you’ve made a start, but you’re still stuck on those crucial first few chapters? Do you just need a little bit of inspiration to motivate you? If so, you’ll be thrilled to hear that National Novel Writing Month has arrived!
National Novel Writing Month started in 1999. It began as a very straight-forward challenge. You had to write 50,000 words of a novel in the month of November. Every year, writers around the world use National Novel Writing Month to kick themselves into gear and start writing that novel that may have been percolating in their head for months, or even years.
This National Novel Writing Month, some of our authors at Cranthorpe Millner Publishers have been kind enough to share their top writing tips to help inspire and motivate other writers. Read on to see the top tips from our authors…
DJG Palmer, author of the Babanango series, says…
- “Write what interests or fires your imagination. Research will underpin storytelling, and fact can be spliced carefully with fiction, but you have to feel a story before you tell it.”
- “Don’t be afraid to let the plot take you somewhere you hadn’t planned and weren’t prepared for. Life does that and if you didn’t see it coming, a reader can only be more surprised!”
- “Feel what you’re writing, especially if it’s period fiction… emotions and sensations feel the same, 500 years, 100 years, last year… the feelings of the characters you depict don’t really change throughout history… only the box and the wrapping they come in!”
Discover DJG Palmer’s heart wrenching historical novels…
Visit DJG Palmer’s website, djgpalmer.com, to find out more about his work.
B. Ware, author of the Words of Warning Collection, says…
- “Writing is great fun… until writer’s block hits. But don’t be afraid to step away from your manuscript for a while, to allow the ideas to flow again. You might even find it helps to have two projects on the go at once, so that when you hit a tricky spot in one, you can switch to the other.”
- “When you create your own characters, you may be surprised to discover that they soon take on lives of their own. Be sure to listen to them whilst you write. If you sense a niggle that Character X possibly wouldn’t say or do what your plot is trying to get them to, then the plot itself may need a tweak.”
- “Write however you choose to; there’s no right way to write. Some authors meticulously plot every scene before writing any chapters. But if you only have a very loose plot in your mind, you might prefer to see what ideas can be generated from some freewriting.”
Discover B. Ware’s hilarious children’s books…
Visit B. Ware’s website, wordsofwarning.com, to find out more about her work.
Chris Coppel, author of Latency, Last Light, Lunacy, Lifetimes and Lingering, says…
- “Don’t wander around waiting for inspiration before actually writing. If you have even the tiniest notion of a story. Sit at your keyboard and start to write.”
- “Set aside a specific time to write at least three to five days a week. This may only be an hour each day, but in that hour, you should be able to write two pages. That’s around 800 words. Guess what, do that for six months and at minimum, you will have a 60,000-page novel.”
- “Don’t try to go back and edit the story while you are still writing it. The goal is to get the entire story down as a first draft after which you can (and must) go back and edit the hell out of it.”
Discover Chris Coppel’s haunting horror novels…
Visit Chris Coppel’s website, chriscoppel.com, to find out more about his work.
Simon Batsman, author of the Sarsen Series, says…
- “Get a notebook! There’s no idea not worth jotting down.”
- “Don’t get hung up on draft 1 — it is just for you to figure out your story.”
- “Give your manuscript some breathing space between edits. This will allow you to revisit it with a fresh mind and be more self-critical.”
Discover Simon Batsman’s mystical fantasy series…
Visit Simon Batsman’s website, simonbatsman.com, to find out more about his work.
Simon Marlowe, author of the Mason Made trilogy, says…
- “Have a plan. It’s a good idea when writing a novel to have a plan – or what is known as the plot line (I prefer classical), the events that punctuate the narrative and lead your characters through their development arc. However, don’t worry if you don’t have a plan at the beginning, because your ‘authors voice’ needs to come first, but as the story evolves you should be able to ‘plot’. My advice: always aim for coherence and clarity.”
- “Have a writing style. This is your ‘authors voice’. Even if you write in the third person, your voice, how you think and say things, needs to be crafted into a distinctive voice. This may take time, but you will know you have got there if your ‘authors voice’ kicks-in without having to think about it – it will feel natural.”
- “Have something to say. This doesn’t have to be overly complicated or especially profound but underpin your novel with a simple over-riding theme. For example, if the theme is redemption, then you know someone has done something bad and they want to find salvation!”
Discover Simon Marlowe’s mad, bad, and darkly comic thriller series…
Visit Simon Marlowe’s website, simonmarlowe.wordpress.com, to find out more about his work.
Russel Wate, author of the DCI Alexander McFarlane series, says…
- “Plan what you are going to write about. Not to the minute detail, but a good outline helps to make sure the novel has a structure, a beginning, middle and an end.”
- “Research is essential, even in fiction.”
- “Write every day once you start, even if it is only 500 words a day.”
Discover Russell Wate’s mysterious crime series…
Kerry McIntosh, author of Rory Green, Secret Agent to the Queen, says…
- “For me, given my total lack of focus, I always promise myself that I will write for a minimum of an hour each day. Sometimes, energetically, I have more to give, and sometimes less but I always allow myself the grace of stepping away. Space and time away from my desk energises me and breathes life into my ideas.”
- “Writing with no deadline feels too fluffy for me, so I find that committing to one and producing a first draft for a mentor or someone I trust is super helpful!”
- “Lastly, write about things that set your heart alight and don’t be afraid to go against the grain and be true to yourself!”
Discover Kerry McIntosh’s empowering and engaging children’s book…
R. N. Cogley, author of An Inquiry Into Innocence and Gruesome Getaway, says…
- “Make Sure to Plan. When writing your novel, planning is paramount. Whether it’s planning what time of the day you can set aside for writing or planning an upcoming scene in your book, being prepared can help to set you up for success.”
- “Really Get to Know Your Characters. Your characters are one of the most important aspects of your story. Therefore, it’s vital that you know exactly who they are. Ask questions like, “What motivates this character?”, “What emotions should this character be feeling?” “What does this character want and how are they going to get it?” It’s helpful to create character profiles that you can refer to throughout your writing process. Make sure that your characters are realistic and believable. If you’re brave, you might even base some of your characters on people you already know. And remember, all of your characters are important.”
- “Be Patient. Writing a book can take time, and finding a publisher for your book may take much longer. Remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. Be patient and use your time sensibly – you could even start working on your next book while you’re waiting to hear back from publishers.”
Discover R. N. Cogley’s chilling collection…
Cliff Stammers, author of the Every Colour You Are series, says…
- “Stay offline. Distractions are a creativity killer! The best way, I’ve found, to keep well clear of pointless… just a second … where was I? Oh, yeah … intrusions are to use a dedicated writing machine like a Freewrite. Your productivity rate will soar. Not only that but you’ll feel like the real deal if you’re out in a cafe somewhere being all windswept and interesting.”
- “Use short words. Keep sentences tight and concise. I often go back and delete as much as I possibly can. It’s important to build pictures, and to illustrate your scenery and your characters, but a story ultimately needs to be engaging otherwise you might lose your reader. Dialog also should be short. That’s generally how people speak. Small sentences. At least, to me they do.”
- “Always end a writing session when you know exactly what happens next. Quit while you’re winning, in other words. That way, when you sit back down to continue, you’ll hit the ground running and be able to pick up the pace right away.”
Discover Cliff Stammers’ gritty literary romance series…
So, will you be taking part in National Novel Writing Month, and tackling the 50,000 words challenge? Or do you have any writing tips of your own to share?
