Write what you know

Read as much as possible

Ilustrate your characters to get to know them well
Treat every experience as research for your novel

I do a lot of rewriting. Don’t be content with just one draft

Never give up

Go to as many different places as you can. There might just be a story there

Try and enter as many writing competitions as possible

If you want to write about something you haven’t experienced, research it

Put your story away, then re-read it. Writers block doesn’t exist

Submit a manuscript to a publisher only when you’ve done your best

1. Write about what you know and have experienced. Then your writing will always be unique.
2. Read, read and read some more. Even though I love to read I’m a very slow reader. If you can read fast, that’s great, but don’t forget to read slowly sometimes as welI. I always have at least four books of different genres on my bedside table.
3. If you like to illustrate like I do, draw your characters. That way you can get to know them really well and sometimes they might just step in and tell you where the story should go next.
4. Treat every experience, especially the bad ones, as research for a story.
5. I do a lot of rewriting of my stories and might spend a whole hour on just one sentence. So don’t be satisfied with your first few drafts. It helps to read your work out aloud. I always do. That way you can hear how it sounds as well as see how it reads.
6. Write as much and as often as you can and don’t get discouraged if someone reads your work and doesn’t like it. Another person might read it and love it. So much depends on individual taste. If you want to be a writer, just keep at it and never never give up.
7. Observe life around you. Keep your eyes and ears open all the time. I always keep a little notebook with me to record even the smallest detail that catches my attention. Anything that makes you wonder is worth jotting down. It might just grow into a story.
8. Enter as many age-appropriate writing competitions as you can. What this does is give you a deadline to work towards and plenty of writing practice. If you win, that’s fantastic, if you don’t, it doesn’t mean you’re not a good writer, just that that particular judge may not have connected with your story.
9. If you want to write about something that you haven’t experienced, research the subject well by going on the internet or to the library or interviewing people.
10. I don’t believe in writer’s block. If you’re stuck, put the story away for a while. Even a day may be enough to distance you from it. You’ll find that you will see it with brand new eyes. Another way to overcome writer’s block is to go to the library and do some research.
11. Before you send a manuscript off to a publisher, make sure it’s the best you can possibly make it. And expect to get rejections. It’s all part of being a writer. I had 6 rejections for my first book The Garden of Empress Cassia. J K Rowling, I believe had about 9. It’s disheartening, but if you love to write, just write and write and write.