My Advice: Anna Stothard

Anna Stothard offers her five writing tips.

Anna StothardI often imagine I’m dying. It stops me from Googling pointless things.

When you’ve finished a first draft, put it away for a month before showing any one.

Read your book out loud, or at least some of it. How things sound, the rhythms, make a difference.

You can’t please everyone and shouldn’t aim to. Write for yourself, but ideally with humility (don’t be boring!).

Keep a notebook and record overheard conversations, descriptions, ideas etc as they come to you. Don’t write them down “later” because “later” they won’t be the same ideas.

Anna is the author of Isabel and Rocco and The Art of Leaving. The Pink Hotel was nominated for The Orange Prize for Fiction.

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Laura
I'm Laura. I started Novel Kicks back in 2009 as I wanted a place to discuss books and writing - two loves of my life. As someone who has anxiety, these two things give me, and I am sure countless others, a much needed escape.
There is a monthly book club, writing exercises, prompts, reviews, author interviews, competitions and guest posts. I cover many genres and I hope there is something for everyone.
I grew up by the sea in Dorset and currently live in Poole with my husband, Chris and three cats. I love writing and have a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Falmouth University. I am writing my first book. If only I could stop pressing delete. Chris has threatened to stop it from working. Haha.
I have always loved creative writing since I was in first school and would very much like to meet my teacher, Miss Sayers, to say thank you for all the encouragement she gave me then.
When not writing, I love reading, cats, Disney, singing (I can't sing but this doesn't stop me,) and falling into a good TV show or film. If I could step into any fictional world, it would be amongst the characters in ABC's Once Upon a Time.
I love reading many genres and discovering new authors.

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