Read as much as possible, especially in your chosen genre.

 

Study the market. Find out what is selling now. Get the current writers’ guidelines from M&B and read them carefully.

 

Always carry a small notebook and jot down ideas when you get them. Otherwise you'll forget that gem you thought of earlier.

 

Write something every day. The more you exercise your writing muscles the stronger they get.

 

While you need a good handle on historical background don’t get bogged down in research. The important thing is to tell the story. If there's detail you're unsure of make a note and look it up later.

 

Writing is a solitary business. If possible join a local writers’ group. The support is invaluable.

 

Be prepared for rejection. It goes with the territory.

 

Don’t be precious about your work. If you're lucky enough to get detailed feedback from the publisher you should feel excited and encouraged, not defensive. It takes many hours to read a manuscript and write a critique. The fact that a busy editor has done that suggests they think your work is worth the effort, so get on and make the recommended changes. Being offered that kind of advice is like finding diamond-studded hens’ teeth.

 

Be prepared to polish your writing.

 

Believe in yourself. If you don’t, why should anyone else?

 

Keep a supply of chocolate handy. It provides an immediate creative energy boost and is particularly good for the times when rejection slips arrive.

 

If the words aren't flowing, it's probably time to do the ironing. Although it’s a boring task it does get the unconscious mind working. Alternatively, go for a long walk. This also gets the words flowing again but it’s far more enjoyable than ironing and burns off the calories from all the chocolate you ate earlier.

 

Above all persevere. Thomas Edison said: “Most human failure has happened because people didn't understand how close they were to success when they gave up.”