10 Things Beginner Writers Must Do

In my (albeit limited) experience as a writer, I seem to encounter the same advice for new authors everywhere I look. In this blog I share my top ten tips for those who, like me, are at the beginning of their writing journey.

1. Write every day

This is the number one piece of advice I have tried to follow. I see it everywhere, from social media to books and magazines on writing, memes on Pinterest and a common thread on writers' forums. I have not always found this easy, but if I only wrote when inspiration struck, I would have even less to show for my time. I needed something very small and fun to commit to in order to establish this habit, something easily achievable. This is why I started writing a daily haiku using dictionary.com's word of the day. If I write nothing else, I at least write a haiku. Even on my busiest and most uninspired day, I can manage seventeen syllables! I am not yet disciplined enough to commit to each day writing a whole chapter or a specific word count, but in addition to a haiku I aim to write a scene, or a character plan or a plot outline. As my writing muscles develop, I expect my output to grow too. It seems obvious, but is worth stating again: to be a writer you must write. It is not enough to dream about being a best selling author, or to dwell on the story in your mind. Only the words committed to paper (or computer screen) will count.

2. Read. A lot!

I always prided myself on being an avid reader, but in reality my reading habits have become very lazy. 21st century life is very busy and at the end of a long day Netflix is often an easier option than a book. In order to break this bad habit, in addition to reading some works I should have read long ago but never did, I set up the Classics Book Club. I enjoy great works of literature and find them to be terrific educators in vocabulary, grammar and structure. However, my reading has two very glaring gaps: that of contemporary best sellers and works in my own genre(s). With limited reading time available, I have to make this a priority or it will never happen. Should you have any suggestions for my reading list, please feel free to comment.

3. Subscribe to a writers magazine

I had been a subscriber to Writer's Digest for at least a year before I really started writing. However, regularly reading the magazine was shaping the kind of writer I would become. I avidly read articles about plot, characters, story arcs, publishing and editing. I looked at all of the competitions I could enter or conferences I could attend when I was a 'real writer'. Without realising it, I had studied the craft long before I made the decision to begin writing seriously. Although I do not yet have a manuscript ready to seek a publisher for, I have an idea about how to start the process. Often I flick through previous copies of WD for articles addressing a specific issue I'm having with my writing. In short, subscribing to a writing magazine quickly builds an invaluable resource library.

4. Start thinking of yourself as an author

Following 15 years of teaching, I became (rather gladly) a housewife. Without lesson plans, marking, concert preparations and camp organizing, I though this would allow me enormous amounts of time in which I could cook, clean, sew, garden and still have hours each day to write. How wrong I was! Being a housewife really is a wonderful blessing, however I found every moment of my time consumed with things that needed doing and none of it was writing. Our situation has changed over the last six years of housewifery, but my lack of writing time, until recently, had not. I realized, quite out of the blue, that I would only have time for writing when I made it a priority; and for me, the only way it would become a priority is if I changed the way I thought about it. I had to perceive it as my occupation. Miraculously, once I started thinking of myself as a writer, not a housewife, I believed I should be spending my time writing. It didn't matter if the dusting didn't get done today, because I wrote a great opening scene for a new story. The biggest challenge for me is answering the question "What do you do?" It has been both terrifying and liberating to answer "I'm a writer".

5. Connect with other writers

It is easy to remain in our little writing bubble, with our characters and stories for company, but connecting with other authors is essential for your writing health. The first group I joined, 10 Minute Novelists, remains my favourite. Every day I am inspired, entertained and encouraged, not least because I feel I also have something to contribute. It is my first port of call when I need a quick answer those with more experience can easily give. It is also a place I learn about conferences, books, competitions, helpful blog posts and much, much more. Find an online group where you feel comfortable and valued, but also one where you will be challenged and encouraged to grow as an author. I am also extremely fortunate to have found two other writers in my local community. We meet once a fortnight at our local Starbucks to give feedback on eachothers' work as well as provide a level of accountability. I do not want to be the only one showing up to our meeting empty handed - the date in my diary makes me write!

6. Start entering competitions

At least consider entering competitions! I have not yet entered a major competition, either in status of competition or size of work, but I would like to be doing so within the next few months. For now, I am committed to entering manageable contests which do not require much time, but will provide a little feedback as well as add to my daily writing. I have found contests such as the 10 Minute Novelist Apples to Apples Drabble and the Writers Digest YOUR STORY opening sentence photo prompt competition fun as well as challenging. I will be very proud the day I get one attributed sentence in print!

7. Create an author platform

This was something I resisted at first, believing I had nothing to offer as yet. Ironically, creating a platform (which for me consists of a website, author Facebook profile, this blog and a book club Facebook group) was the very thing that made me start thinking of myself as a writer. As such I soon felt that I had relevant experience to share. There are numerous articles and blogs about this, but for me, the most helpful and comprehensive was A Definition of Author Platform by Jane Friedman.

8. Broaden your horizons

When I first began to take writing seriously, I was very rigid about what I wanted to write. I found myself locked into a story I am not yet capable of writing and stuck in genre I did not know how to handle. Writing every day became a chore and I honestly could not visualize a completed chapter. It was at this time that I started building my website. Not having a book to promote, I felt it was important to have some creative writing there and turned to poetry I had written over the years. Originally I had a number of lengthy works I wanted to feature on the website, but I realized that I wanted something more for them and have decided to publish an anthology. It has also sparked another poetry writing project which I am excited to start. A few months ago I would have told you that poetry was my past, yet now I see a niche for it in the future. The competitions I mentioned earlier, have also allowed me to explore other genres. Exposing myself to these different stimuli has allowed my subconscious to solve problems in my writing, see my works from an alternative perspective and has even prompted a different novel, which seems much more suited to my writing style. In short, don't be afraid to switch project or even genres, especially if you are as yet unpublished.

9. Get unbiased feedback

Whether from an online forum, a local writing group or some other format, you need to receive feedback on your work. While it is always encouraging to have the support of our families and close friends, we have to accept that they may not be our most unbiased critics. For me, I need a healthy mixture of encouragement, praise and criticism. I want to write well, which means I need to improve. Often I need others' help in seeing what needs addressing. I would much rather receive criticism in private and have the chance to improve my work before I take it to publishers or the public who will undoubtedly be ruthless, and rightly so. Hard to win praise from an unbiased critic carries more meaning than empty accolades.

10. Write with something to say

We live in a time of prolific book publishing, both traditional and self. Our world is full of people who have nothing to say, but are making a lot of noise saying it and social media fuels this empty self-importance with little to no accountability for the things said. While self publishing has many merits it has also become an easy option for lazy and unprofessional writers to fill the market with poorly edited and badly written work. I believe writing is a gift, good writing is hard work and writing worth reading must have a message or a unique story to tell.