12 successful authors share their novel writing tips for NaNoWriMo From finding a voice to staying motivated and dealing with writer’s block, writing a first novel can be daunting. Here, […]

From finding a voice to staying motivated and dealing with writer’s block, writing a first novel can be daunting.

Here, 12 top authors share their tips for budding writers participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) this November.

‘When in doubt, cut’

“This is what I know – writing is like sports. You need discipline to train every day knowing that nobody cares about the effort, only the result, so don’t go around showing your drafts, only the final obsessively revised manuscript.

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“When in doubt, cut. Research, research, research. If your facts are solid, your fiction will be believable. And get a good agent!”

Isabel Allende is the internationally bestselling author of The House of the Spirits and The Japanese Lover. Her latest book, In The Midst of Winter, is published on 2 November by Scribner

‘Dramatise! Dramatise! Dramatise!’

“Dramatise! Dramatise! Dramatise! Let’s be honest: sticking in a chunk of summary narrative is by far the easiest thing you can do as a writer. It’s also one of the laziest.

“So what would happen if, instead of telling the reader what has happened, you dramatize the scene and show it happening instead? Wouldn’t that make the scene more compelling and engaging?”

Stuart MacBride is a number one bestselling crime author. His latest novel, Now We Are Dead, is published on 2 November by HarperCollins

‘Trust your instinct’

“Remember your first draft is not only telling yourself the story, but also finding out who you are as a writer.

“Listen for your authorial voice, trust your instinct, acknowledge your influences and inspirations, and consider how much of you is in your words.”

Rowan Coleman is the author of bestseller, The Memory Book and The Summer of Impossible Things, and the ghost writer for Cara Delevingne’s Mirror Mirror

‘Re-writing is where the creativity lies’

“Finish your book first before worrying about where you are going to submit it. Be focused on writing the best book you possibly can. Give it your heart, your thoughts, your time.

“Remember, a first draft is a first draft. Re-writing is where the creativity lies, so get used to re-writing. When you are finding writing hard, remember that every published author feels the same.”

Sarah Winman is the author of Richard and Judy bestseller, A Year of Marvellous Ways and Tin Man (Tinder Press)

‘Find the element you’re passionate about’

“Find the element you’re passionate about. Successful stories and characters – writing that draws readers close and compels them to turn pages – springs from a writer’s passion.

“At the beginning of each new book, each new scene, and each new day’s work, I ask myself, ‘What is it about this character (or her situation, or the scene I’m about to write) that I feel passionate about? What notion fills me with joy or makes me angry or (potentially) will make me laugh like a loon?’

“The answer might be something small, but there is always something, and the answer gives me direction and purpose. I write to this inspiring moment like a heat-seeking missile.”

Robert Crais is the author of the bestselling Cole & Pike novels, and was a TV scriptwriter for Cagney & Lacey, Miami Vice, and Hill Street Blues

‘Give your character an emotional arc’

“I normally start by giving my main character a goal or desire. Something important that she will stop at nothing to achieve. I also give her a character flaw that will make it more difficult for her to obtain her goal, then I throw lots of obstacles in her way.

“It’s as important to give your character an emotional arc as it is to write a compelling plot. The character needs to have changed in some way by the end of the novel.”

CL Taylor is the million-copy bestselling author of thrillers The Lie, The Accident and The Escape. Her new YA thriller, The Treatment, is out now

‘Daily, self-imposed silence’

“My chief recommendation for the numbing work of putting a novel together is daily, self-imposed silence – prolonged periods of doing nothing, simply sitting alone and thinking about the world in which the story takes place.

“Long drives, long showers, anything that detaches the brain from the real world and allows the writer to wander around within the contours of their creation, to mingle with the characters, breathe in the air.

“I kept a largely unorganized notes file on my computer and wrote up anything that came to me during those periods, from interesting sentences to character descriptions or plot and narrative directions. It was the only way I managed to finish the book.”

Omar El Akkad is the author of American War (Picador), inspired by his experiences working as a journalist in Afghanistan and Egypt’s Arab Spring

‘Find your voice and use it’

“My top tip for aspiring writers is believe that you have something to say that will resonate with other people. Find your voice and use it. Write with passion.

“Write every day, even if it is only five sentences. Edit mercilessly.”

Kate Furnivall is the bestselling author of eight novels, including The Russian Concubine, The White Pearl and The Italian Wife

‘Don’t be too proud to take advice’

“Write for you own pleasure, not for your imagined reader or reviewer. Write from the heart. Write the sort of book you would like to read and read the great storytellers of your genre to inspire you.

“Get it written then get it right – you can waste days polishing and never get to the end of the book. Don’t be too proud to take advice from someone you respect.

“Make your office space as pleasant as possible so you look forward to sitting in there. Scented candle, flowers, etc. Treat it like a job and be disciplined. If you can’t be disciplined at home, work in a library.

“Don’t give up! You only need one agent and one publisher. Believe in yourself and your talent. You have your own unique voice and it just might be the next big thing.

“Above all, have fun. If you love writing, that feeling will permeate into your work and the reader will enjoy it too.”

Santa Montefiore‘s novels have been translated into over 25 languages, and have sold over 2 million copies worldwide

‘Set a timer for 30 mins’

“I know it’s a cliché but I have a written note that I keep by the side of my keyboard – ‘just do it’.

“First, I’ll have a look around my social media channels and check my emails so that nothing will distract me.

“Next, I’ll read over any notes I’ve made about the scene I want to write. Then, I’ll set a timer for 30 minutes and just do it. I find that short sharp bursts help focus my mind.

“I still get overwhelmed by first drafts, especially at the beginning when there is so much to do – or at the 30k slump when I’ve poured everything into it and then the doubt starts to creep in. So I keep myself moving forward by writing one scene, one chapter, one character arc.

“Once I’ve done that, the feel-good factor of achievement takes over and I’ll write a bit more. It’s like a snowball effect. Pretty soon, those words add up.”

Mel Sherratt has sold over one million books, and all 11 of her crime novels have been bestsellers. She is published by Avon Books

‘If you wait for the muse to strike you’ll likely never start’

“If you work in a cafe or library, avert your eyes from the WiFi password at all costs. This makes a surprising difference.

“Use earplugs when you write. That muffled seashell hush helps you go into your own world (or the world of your story).

“See writing as a job, not a calling. If you wait for the muse to strike you’ll likely never start, and definitely never finish.

“Give your protagonist a sounding board. It could be a best friend, a sibling, a therapist, a blog or just someone they email regularly. This allows you to express their thoughts directly, instead of pages of introspection, full of ‘he thought’ and ‘she realised’.

“If there’s an important setting in your story, like a house, garden or workplace, approach that setting like another character and really get to know it in your imagination.”

Francesca Hornak is a journalist and the author of two non-fiction books. Her debut novel, Seven Days Of Us, was published by Little, Brown in October 2017

‘Read deeply, not widely’

“Read deeply, not widely. After complimenting my writing style, my agent once said to me, ‘You must read so many books!’ I said, ‘I do not. I read the same books many times.’ Find something wonderful and read it until you understand why it’s wonderful.

“Sketch the plot, highlight tense changes and POV shifts, circle words that stand out to you. Read until you feel like you could write it. Then maybe you will.”