Ten Things About Writing

Build Your Story, One Word at a Time

Joanne Harris

• Publisher: September Publishing
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781912836611
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Creative Writing
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

An indispensable guide to the craft of writing and business of publishing from one of our bestselling and most versatile authors.

One-time teacher and bestselling novelist Joanne Harris has been advising and corresponding with aspirational writers for over six years. This collection of pithy and funny lists of advice provides both hard-won wisdom and insider industry help. All aspects of the writing process and story development are covered – as is the thorny issue of how and where to find readers. From Workspaces and Habits to Plot and Dialogue, these are motivating, problem-solving lists from an experienced and widely respected writer.

Uniquely, Ten Things About Writing also takes the reader beyond the stage of finished manuscripts and editorial changes – into the territories of rights, publicity and marketing. Whether you havethe urge to write crime fiction or a fantasy novel, literary short stories or blockbuster thrillers Joanne's lists will speak to you.

'Joanne is not only master of her craft but has the rare gift of being able to explain that craft and offer peerless advice in the clearest, no-nonsense, practical and entertainingof ways.' Matt Haig

'[Joanne Harris's] pithy, often very funny advice demystifies writing and the publishing industry for new and aspiring writers.' Cressida Cowell

Part 1

Where Do I Start?

1. Starting Out

2. Permission

3. Habits

4. Workspace

5. Headspace

6. Time

7. Getting Ideas

8. Planning

9. Rules, and How to Ignore Them

10. Research

1

Starting Out

There. That was easy, wasn’t it? You’ve taken the first step already. You’ve decided to explore and expand your potential as a writer. Whatever your objective, it’s a great thing to do, and I hope it will bring you joy and success in whatever you hope to achieve.

Now to look at a few ways to get you started.

1. Don’t try to do too much at once. Although it may be true that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, try not to think about where the journey will take you. Instead, try to focus on what you can do on a day-to-day basis.

2. Decide what you want from your writing. Do you write purely for your own pleasure? Do you write as therapy? Do you enjoy sharing your fan fiction online? Are you writing a story to entertain your grandchildren? Are you seeking to be published commercially? Whatever your reasons, and on whatever level you choose, writing can be a rewarding, enriching occupation that can bring joy to you and to others.

3. Manage your expectations. Don’t assume that by writing you’re going to make millions, attract girls (or boys), or get to hang out with famous people. For the most part, the best that will happen is that you’ll do a lot of writing. Make sure that’s what you really want. If you don’t actually enjoy writing, you’re unlikely to sustain the effort.

4. Manage your time. If you don’t actively make time to write, then you’ll never get round to it. (More on ways to do this in the next chapter.)

5. Manage your workspace. A designated workspace is the key to good writing habits. Decide where you are going to write and try to make it as accessible and as welcoming as possible. (More on your workspace later.)

6. Make sure you have the right tools to allow your writing to fit into your lifestyle. If you’re on the move throughout the day, you might prefer a laptop or a writing app that you can use on your phone. If you’re going to be working from home, you might prefer to work on a PC. And of course there’s always the time-honoured notebook-and-pen combo …

7. Find a beta reader. Not everyone wants to share their work, but writing can be a lonely business. It can help to get feedback from a sympathetic, honest reader – and having an audience, even of one, can help with motivation.

8. Join an online community. It’s so easy nowadays to get in touch with other writers, bloggers, editors or agents – and you can learn a lot from interacting with other people who may be on the same path.

9. Join the Society of Authors, or the Writers’ Guild. (If you haven’t been published yet, you can still join the society as an Associate Member or Friend). With its quarterly magazine, free legal advice, contract services, social events, literary prizes, grants and lectures on different aspects of publishing, it’s well worth the membership fee.

10. Finally, give yourself permission to write. You can do it. It’s allowed. No one’s going to laugh at you or say you’re not a proper writer – not anyone who matters, anyway.

Got it? Good.

Take a deep breath. You’re on your way. Good luck, and may your writing bring you as much joy as mine has brought me …

2

Permission

A task that many new writers find unexpectedly difficult is giving themselves permission to write. They waste time and energy worrying: Am I a proper writer? Will proper writers laugh at me? Am I being ridiculous in believing that actual readers might enjoy reading what I’ve written? So here’s a little checklist to help you get through this. And if you ever start to feel uncertain of yourself, come back to this page, take a deep breath, reread the list … then make yourself a cup of tea and get to work. You’re allowed to do it. I said so.

1. Stop thinking in terms of ‘proper’ writers and the rest of the world. You’re not an ‘aspiring’ writer, or an ‘emerging’ writer, or a ‘budding’ writer. If you write, you’re a writer. So write!

2. Banish your fear of inadequacy. Do you write as well as you want to? Probably not. No writer does. But then, why would you be any different from any of the rest of us? We all have insecurities. We’re all trying to improve our game. And like all games, yours will improve with practice, and with time.

3. Banish your writer’s guilt. Ever feel guilty at the amount of time you spend watching TV, or reading, or exercising, or being with your friends? No? Then don’t feel guilty at the time you spend writing. It’s not a selfish indulgence, it’s something you care about, and into which you’re prepared to put work and energy. Make sure the people around you understand that, and support you. If they don’t, find better people.

4. Stop comparing yourself to other writers. Compare your work to the last thing you wrote. If you’re improving (and you are), you’re doing fine.

5. Don’t waste your time obsessing over getting an agent, or getting published, or thinking about all the money you think you’ll make, or identifying market trends. Write until you have something worthwhile, then find someone to show it to. Anything else is just a distraction.

6. Find a support network. Online or off, it’s comforting to know that there are others who feel as you do. Writing circles, blogger groups, fanfic communities, social media groups – all of these can help a writer feel connected. You are not alone, and the support of others can be an extraordinary comfort, especially if you hit a rough patch (and you will).

7. Establish a regular writing routine. Getting into the habit of writing is just like getting into any other habit – it takes a few weeks to establish. But stick with it; and before long it will feel as natural as any other part of your life.

8. Don’t put yourself under unnecessary pressure. It can take a long time to get a book into publishable shape, so be careful how much you reveal to the people around you – that is, unless you want your colleagues at work constantly asking: ‘How’s the book going?’

9. Don’t expect too much, too fast. Everything about writing a book takes a lot longer than you think it will. Live in hope, but pack for the long haul.

10. Don’t worry if you end up trashing some or all of what you’ve written – nothing you write is ever wasted. Remember that every word you write is part of your ongoing training, and that anything you discard now may one day be reused, re-imagined or rebooted. For now, don’t look back. You have work to do.

3

Habits

No one is born good at writing. The ability to spin words into gold is a skill that comes from hard work, patience and lots of practice. Some people may have an aptitude; others will struggle to gain momentum. And yet, whatever our writing ambitions – whether it’s to create a bestseller, to self-publish a memoir, to write better fanfic or just to improve our blogging style – all of us can benefit from improving our writing skills.

Of course, we all have different styles and different approaches to writing; but getting into good habits can really make a difference. These are the ones I think are essential.

1. Read as much as you can. To be a writer, you must be a reader. Comics, games, fan fiction, literary fiction, commercial fiction, children’s books, e-books, magazines, non-fiction – it’s all part of your training. All reading is worthwhile. All reading teaches you something. Anyone telling you otherwise doesn’t understand the nature of reading at all.

2. Read outside your comfort zone. We all have our favourite writers, and we often write in similar genres. To avoid going stale, occasionally swap your usual genre for something different: fiction for popular science; crime fiction for fantasy; fiction for non-fiction. Read widely: newspapers, comics, bestsellers, biographies, genre fiction. Nothing – nothing – you read is ever wasted.

3. Look off the page. Writing isn’t limited to blogs and books. It’s part of almost every aspect of our lives. You can learn a lot about fiction from a well-written film, a stage play, TV show, a game. Be aware of the quality of the writing you encounter. Be critical. Learn to identify what works and what doesn’t, and why.

4. Get into the groove. However much or how little time you have, try to write something every day. Even if it’s only a sentence, it helps you stay in the world you’re creating. And once you’re in that world, your mind will be quietly working on your plot and characters throughout the day.

5. Don’t forget to daydream. Most writing happens away from your desk. So make room for some thinking time – whether that’s a morning walk, a run, an hour’s commute, or a long, relaxing bath. Switch off your phone whenever you can. These are often the times when inspiration strikes. Learn to identify it when it does.

6. Be observant. The best writers seem to notice more than the average person does – and then they show what they’ve seen to the reader. So watch the people around you; notice their mannerisms and behaviour. Watch the clouds; recall your dreams; remember colours, tastes and scents. You’ll soon find you’re noticing many more things – and they’ll all help improve your writing.

7. Keep a notebook. Carry it with you at all times. In it, record anything you see or hear that you find interesting, new, striking, shocking, funny, singular. Dreams and daydreams; thoughts and ideas. You never know what might fit into a story one day.

8. Read aloud. Words are like music; they have their own rhythms and beats. Reading aloud helps you understand the ebb and flow of the language.

9. Don’t write because you want to be a writer. Write because you want to write. If you don’t actively enjoy what you’re doing, you’ll never have the staying power to finish even a first draft.

10. Don’t beat yourself up on the days when your writing isn’t going well. Some days the dream machine won’t work. That doesn’t mean it’s broken.

4

Workspace

Every writer needs a place to work. It’s psychologically important for a writer to have a designated workspace – be that an office, a room of your own, a favourite café, a shed in the garden, even the back seat of your car during a half-hour lunch break. The point is to designate a space that you use only for writing. If you have the luxury of a home office or a room of your own, then there’s no limit to what you can do. Furnish it the way you want: make it suit your requirements. But whether you do or not, here are a few ideas to get you started.

1. Find a really good desk chair. So many writers have back and neck problems from slouching over a laptop all day.

2. Find somewhere you won’t be interrupted. Interruptions are more than annoying; they take you out of the writing zone. If you’re working from home, make sure your family understands your need for uninterrupted time. Lay down some ground rules to ensure you have some unbroken time to work – even if it’s only for twenty minutes every day.

3. Turn off your phone. You may find it easier to log off the internet, too (although I quite like my little water-cooler moments on Twitter). It’s all too easy to lose focus with the distraction of screens and phones. It’s better to spend twenty minutes a day focusing completely on your writing than to spend hours at the computer with one eye on social media, fooling yourself you’ve been productive.

4. Check the temperature. Don’t be too warm – warmth will make you sleepy. (Obviously, you don’t want to be freezing, either. There’s a limit to how much an artist should suffer.)

5. If you’re working from home, try to rid your space of clutter. Clutter is often stressful and distracting, and may erode your concentration.

6. Go for a walk every once in a while, or do some stretching at your desk. I suggest every half-hour or so, or when you need five minutes’ thinking time. It keeps you alert and energized as well as keeping you active.

7. Make sure you have enough natural light. Light makes a big difference to our energy levels, so for winter and on dull days, if you feel lethargic, consider getting a light box to make up for the lack of sunlight.

8. Remove any reminders from your space of any other things you have to do. Housework, letters unanswered, plants to be watered, dogs to be walked, emails from your workplace. This is your designated writing space; at least for the time you have set aside, nothing else should intrude.

9. Plan your snacks in advance. It’s very easy, when working from home, either to miss meals (bad idea), or to be making toast every five minutes. Neither extreme is helpful.

10. Have a bottle of water to hand. It’s easy to forget this when you’re wrangling a tricky chapter, but dehydration affects your brain power and inhibits concentration.

5

Headspace

If your lifestyle makes it hard to find a designated workspace, you might benefit from a few headspace exercises. After all, if you’re in the zone, your surroundings shouldn’t matter. And many writers just don’t have the luxury of a room of their own – they may sometimes have to write in airports, hotel rooms, railway stations. (I spent several years writing on the floor of my living room, surrounded by my daughter’s toys, and with my husband watching football on TV.)

Most people have a visual imagination. A minority have very limited visual imagination, but do respond strongly to sounds, movements, tactile stimuli, even scents. Here are some shortcuts into the zone, based on sensory prompts and triggers. They may not all work for you, but you may find that one of them helps. And if this all sounds a bit too New-Agey to you, remember that creative visualization, self-hypnosis and meditation are all just ways of achieving an altered state of consciousness, which is just another way of saying ‘getting into the zone’. Try it. You may surprise yourself.

1. The portable desk. Choose two objects (for fifteen years I used a candlestick and a paperweight, but they can be anything at all), put them in front of your laptop as you sit at your desk, or your kitchen table, or on your chosen piece of floor, or at your table in Starbucks. Handle them before you sit down to write. Get used to having them with you. Use them wherever and whenever you settle down to write – and only then. What you’re doing is creating a writing prompt, which will work like any other psychological trigger, telling you: This is your writing space – access it. It’s amazing how well this works, especially if, like me, you travel a lot, and can’t get to your own desk every day.

2. The red door. This is a prompt that works best for people with strong visualization skills, and although it takes time to set up at first, it can become a useful means of getting into the zone. First, close your eyes and relax. Imagine a red door in a wall. Imagine the colour and shape of the door; the texture and colours of the wall. When you can see the door in your mind, take out the key from your pocket. Visualize the shape of the key, its weight, its texture. When you can do this, unlock the door and look inside.

Inside, is your perfect workspace. It can be anything you like: a garden, a beach, a lighthouse, a marvellous library. Go in, and spend a little time furnishing it. The better you do this, the better the visualization works. Then, when you’re ready to start work, lock yourself in, using the key. Open your eyes. You should be ready.

When you’ve finished working, leave your space through the red door, making sure to lock it behind you. The next time you try this, it will be much quicker and easier, until eventually the visualization will only take a few seconds.

3. Identify your dominant sense. Some people (about 25 per cent) have no visual imagination. That doesn’t mean they’re not imaginative; it just means that, for them, other senses override the visual. If you think you’re among them, identify which is your dominant sense, and tailor your prompts to suit. For instance, for a tactile memory, make sure your portable desk (if using this idea) consists of two tactile objects, rather than just visual reminders.

4. Make a writing playlist. Another useful prompt for non-visual thinkers is music. I prefer not to listen to music when I’m writing, but I like to create playlists for my characters to get me into the writing zone. Try it out: find what motivates you.

5. Build a scent library. Scent is another powerful way in which to access your creativity. The smell of rosemary has been proved to aid memory, and lavender helps with relaxation, but any scent can be used as a memory prompt. Just as actors often use scent to get into character, a writer can use scent as a means of getting into the zone. I use a different scent for every book I write. I use it only when I am writing, and before long I begin to associate it with the book, its characters and its progress. It’s a great shortcut when I’m travelling, too.

6. Find your voice. Read the last chapter or page you wrote aloud before beginning your new day’s work. (This isn’t always practical in public spaces, but it really helps me find my voice.) This especially helps those who have an auditory memory, or who are affected by rhythms and cadences.

7. Find your writing uniform. We often associate being at work with the wearing of some kind of uniform. Some writers like to choose a special piece of clothing or jewellery to help them into their headspace. Rings are a common choice, but you may find that a favourite scarf, blanket or beanie can also help. The main thing is that you should only use it when you’re writing: that way you associate it with being in the zone.

8. Create a memory book. To access certain emotions – love, happiness, grief, nostalgia and so on – put together a book of photographs or pictures that are deeply meaningful to you. It helps you access feelings that may be important in building a scene, in setting the tone, in getting into character.

9. Banish toxic influences. Many writers find that they are negatively affected by current or political affairs. If you find that you can’t get current affairs out of your mind, it sometimes helps to devise a cleansing ritual – be that showering, washing your hands, casting a protective circle or burning sage before getting to work. Whatever your choice, if it works, it’s all good. Like all other acts of creation, magic is just a state of mind.

10. Sometimes, whatever method you try, you find you just can’t get into the zone. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Dreaming on demand is an unpredictable business. Instead, go for a walk, watch a film, play with your kids, walk your dog. Remember, only a small part of the writing process actually happens at a desk. The missing piece of your story may be waiting just around the corner.

6

Time

The most common excuse people give me for not writing is not being able to find the time. But here’s the thing: we all of us have the same twenty-four hours to work with. The trick is managing the time we have to prioritize the things we find most important. If writing is important enough to you, then you will find the time to write. You may have to make sacrifices, however (I mostly sacrificed ironing and dusting). Here are a few things you might like to bear in mind while you’re deciding where your priorities lie.

1. Be realistic about the time you’ll spend writing. Making time to write is often a challenge in a world that makes so many demands on us. But remember, you don’t need to spend hours writing every day. Even if you only write 300 words every day, in a year you could already have the first draft of a novel.

2. Be mindful of what you do with your time. Is it all time well-spent? Chances are that some of it isn’t. How long do you spend watching TV programmes you don’t really like? Checking your social media? Pottering around aimlessly? Could you redirect some of that time into your writing instead?

3. Don’t be afraid to enlist help. Women writers in particular are often left with the responsibilities of cooking, housework and childcare on top of their regular jobs, leaving even less time for writing. Consider delegating some of these tasks – ask a family member to cook instead, or phone for a weekly take-out – to give yourself some extra time.

4. Consider getting up an hour early to write. Or, if you’re a night-owl, stay up for an extra hour. Try both, and decide which works best for you.

5. Use your lunch break to good effect. Half an hour a day, every day, adds up to a good weekly total.

6. Don’t forget your regular commute. Use it, if not physically to write (not easy on a crowded Tube), to plan your writing and go over ideas.

7. Plan your writing in advance. You’re far less likely to skip a day’s work if you’ve already put the time aside.

8. Find a writing buddy. Writing is like running, or any kind of exercise: it can be motivating to share your experience with someone else.

9. If you’ve never tried NaNoWriMo, give it a go. (It’s a yearly event, held online throughout November, during which writers from all disciplines challenge themselves to write, plan or finish a novel in a month.) The result won’t be a finished novel, but many people benefit from the sense of community it brings them, and it might help you get into good habits.

10. Don’t tell yourself: ‘If I miss a day, I’ll make it up at the weekend.’ While it’s true that you may have more time at the weekend, you’ll end up putting yourself under unnecessary pressure, and your writing will suffer.

7

Getting Ideas

Inspiration is a mysterious concept, and one over which people too often feel they have no control. This is quite untrue; the search for ideas is an active, not a passive process. The idea that we must wait for the Muse to inspire us was invented by effete young Victorians who wanted an excuse to sit around doing nothing all day. Most of us don’t have that luxury, which means forgetting about the Muse and doing some actual footwork instead.

1. Don’t just sit there. Inspiration is like lightning: you can’t necessarily predict when it will strike, but you can create the right conditions. The first is to actively pursue those things that may inspire you.

2. If you can, travel. Discovering new places and cultures is immensely enriching and educational. (And remember, for those of limited means, books allow you to travel, too.)

3. You don’t have to go far to find ideas. There are stories all around us; the trick is learning how to see them. Train yourself to question everything you see, and to imagine the stories behind the people you meet.

4. People are fascinating. On public transport, put your phone away, take out your earplugs and observe other people. Listen to their conversations. You might hear something that sparks an idea.

5. Learn about people who are different to you. Explore the art, poetry and writing of different cultures. Look at the many diverse perspectives from which we can look at the world, and ourselves.

6. To make art, you must consume art. Go to galleries, watch plays, listen to music, play games, watch films, read books. But do it mindfully – think about what you’re seeing and hearing, and think about what it makes you feel.

7. Be more aware of the world in general. That means noticing what you see, what you taste, what you smell, what you feel in all kinds of different circumstances. All these things will feed your writing if you allow it to. Write your impressions down in your notebook, or on your phone.

8. Get out of your comfort zone. Try to do things that will challenge you – whether that’s training to run a marathon, or taking up a new hobby, going to a new place, or just saying hello to a stranger every day. Unexpected situations are creative, and might lead you anywhere.

9. Don’t forget that you already have a library of memories. Draw from your experiences; your childhood, the key events of your own life. Not only will these give you ideas, they will also add to the emotional realism of your writing.

10. Give yourself a story prompt every day. Base it on the things you see on the way to work, or in the street outside your window. An abandoned shoe by the side of the road – what’s its story? How did it get there? A woman running for a bus – where is she going? Who is she? It’s surprising how often these small things can grow into something bigger.

8

Planning

There are two ways of approaching the planning of a novel. One is architectural, with a solid structural plan; the other is more fluid, allowing a degree of organic growth throughout the story. Which one you choose is up to you – and the fluid approach that works for me may not necessarily be the way that will work best for you. Both approaches, however, require a certain degree of planning.

1. Imagine you’re going to take a walk through the woods. You could plan your walk in advance, using maps, looking up what plants will be flowering, checking the weather report and so on. Or you could just take your chances with whatever you happen to find on the way. In both instances, however, you need at least to know which woods you’re heading for, and how long you’re planning to spend there.

2. Sketch a map. I’m one of those writers who likes to be surprised by developments in their story – my theory is that if you can surprise yourself, you have more chance of surprising the reader – but it’s still important to have a few key scenes or encounters in place before starting. As you develop as a writer, you may find that you want to do more or less planning as you go (much as a teacher starts off by planning their lessons in detail, then learns to plan them on the fly when they gain more experience). If you are just starting out, try putting down some basics before you start your first chapter.

3. Set the tone of your novel from the start. Though I’m not always a fan of labels, it’s useful to know what camp your novel fits into: is it fantasy, or crime, or humour, or science fiction? It can be frustrating to start a novel, believing it to be one thing, only to find that it has morphed into something else over the course of fifty pages. Save yourself some editing, and get it right the first time.

4. Make sure the world of your novel is properly fixed in your mind. This applies especially if you’re writing a fantasy world, but it’s also true of real places. Make sure you’re familiar with the terrain before rolling the tanks in.

5. Do your research. The main sweep of your plot may be fluid, but the nuts and bolts of your reality – be that the French court of Louis XV or a village in rural Kashmir – need to be as solid as possible. That means dialect, specialist vocabulary, clothing, food, historical or geographical fact-checking. You’re bound to make the odd mistake, but try to avoid the obvious ones.

6. Get to know your main characters. That might mean making character lists, family trees, even sketches of your protagonist if it helps. You’ll be spending a long time with these people; it pays to get to know them really well before you start your journey together.

7. Find your voice. Voice determines so much of a book: is your story best written in the first person or the third? The present tense or the past? If you’re not sure, experiment. See what works best for you before you start. (More about finding your voice later.)

8. Plan your general direction. That doesn’t necessarily mean knowing every step of your protagonist’s journey, but it helps to have some kind of plan. Try to know what your key scenes should be, what your protagonist’s aim is, what obstacles are in their way, and how their conflict should be resolved. That way you’re less likely to stray off the path (and you won’t have to cut hundreds of pages later, during the editorial stage).

9. Make a calendar. Make sure you know just when your story is happening. When you’re in the throes of creativity, it’s sometimes easy to forget mundane things like days of the week, weekends, moon phases and bank holidays, but those things can be important, and it’s all too easy to find that you’ve suddenly jumped from Thursday to Sunday overnight.

10. Make sure that this is really the story you want to write. You’re going to be spending a long time in this world, and with these characters. If by now you’re not excited to start this journey, maybe you shouldn’t be starting at all …

9

Rules, and How to Ignore Them

Beware any writer who claims to possess a set of universal rules. Rules for writers are like shoes: they exist in various sizes and styles, and one pair may fit you perfectly, while another lands you flat on your face. So by all means take an interest in rules and recommendations, but know that every single one has been broken by someone, somewhere – and often to advantage. Slavish adherence to writers’ rules is as bad as pretending that there are none; and it’s up to you, as you develop, to decide what works and what doesn’t. Here are a few of the commonest, and why you shouldn’t necessarily take them at face value.

1. ‘Write what you know.’ This isn’t a rule designed to limit what you write, but an invitation to encourage you to expand your knowledge. If we all restricted our writing solely to our own experience, books would be very dull indeed, and all crime writers would be in jail.

2. ‘Don’t break the fourth wall.’ Otherwise known as the ‘Dear Reader’ technique, this relates to those moments at which a character looks out from the pages and addresses the reader directly – a tricky technique, which, used clumsily, can break the spell you’re trying to weave. On the other hand, it worked just fine for Charlotte Brontë.

3. ‘Show, don’t tell.’ There’s a reason we tell stories, rather than showing the reader: a good writer will know when to do both. Too much showing (in terms of description, etc.) can sometimes lead to over-written, pretentious prose; too little can lead to the reader never being invested enough to connect with the fictional world. You need to be able to do both, at the right time and in the right place.

4. ‘Write short sentences.’ Though this certainly helps in terms of clarity, always keeping sentences short often leads to dull, turgid writing. Varying the length of sentences allows you to manage the pace of your novel and to stop it becoming predictable.

5. ‘Avoid detailed descriptions.’ This is one of those ‘rules’ that apply to a certain kind of writing, and not at all to another. The decision is entirely yours to make – and it would be a sad thing indeed if we all aimed to be the same kind of writer.

6. ‘Avoid prologues.’ If your book needs a prologue, feel free to include one. Just make sure it’s not the boring kind that readers are likely to skip.

7. ‘Don’t start a book with the weather.’ This is now often seen as a bit of a cliché, but there are plenty of good ways of using the weather in fiction. Perhaps, ‘Don’t use clichés’ is a better way to put it.

8. ‘Never use a verb other than “said” to report dialogue.’ This is reasonable advice in the main, except that I think the only real rule is never to say ‘never’. Just bear in mind that what a character says is usually more important than how they say it, and therefore needs more emphasis.

9. ‘Work on one thing at a time until finished.’ This is very much a personal choice. Some writers find it useful to leave a project to simmer for a while, either because they need to do more research, or because they have reached an impasse in their writing. In these cases, I think it helps to have something else to move on to; and too much pressure to finish can sometimes lead to writer’s block.

10. ‘Don’t read the genre in which you are writing.’ This advice is based on the idea that you can accidentally ‘absorb’ someone else’s style, but if you vary your reading material (and if you’re secure in your own style), this is unlikely to happen; quite the opposite, in fact: it helps to be familiar with the work of other writers in your area.

10

Research

Some books need a lot of formal research; others rather less so. But chances are that, whatever you’re writing, even if it’s a fantasy novel set on a distant planet in a quasi-mediaeval society of sentient lizards, you’ll need to research something.

1. Don’t be afraid to ask. When researching areas of experience, culture or expertise, your best resource is other people. If you can, talk to someone who knows more than you do, or who represents the kind of person you’re writing about. Writing a police procedural? Try to befriend a helpful detective or community police officer. Writing a novel set in a school? Try to visit your local school, and find out how things are run. Writing about a particular street in London? Don’t make it up: visit it, and talk to people who live there. Chances are, if you get something wrong, someone will point it out to you.

2. Don’t just use Wikipedia. If you’re researching a historical period, you’ll probably need to access academic resources: libraries, records, archives, contemporary writings and journals. Facts matter: if you get them wrong, you’ll pull your readers out of the story. Some of them may never return.

3. Art galleries can be an excellent resource of visual period detail. Sometimes they’re the best way of researching things like food and clothing.

4. Don’t make up historical or cultural details just because you think readers won’t know the difference. They will, and your readers deserve respect. You may well be making things up as you go along – aren’t we all? – but you’re doing so within an existing framework of reality that needs to be convincing and accurate.

5. Don’t mistake stereoty...

Table of contents

• Introduction
• Part 1
• Where Do I Start?
• Part 2
• What Makes a Story?
• Part 3
• Shall We Dance?
• Part 4
• Characterization
• Part 5
• Detailing
• Part 6
• The First Draft
• Part 7
• Who Makes a Book?
• Part 8
• Why Am I Doing This, Again?
• Part 9
• Publication and Beyond
• Part 10
• Welcome to the Dark Side
• Afterword
• Acknowledgements
• About the Author