Trisha Ashley’s advice for new writers…

I often hear people say they’re going to write a novel…eventually, when they retire, or the children have left home (do they ever, these days?) and they have the right computer, or pen, or the wind is coming from the south west…

I’ve never really understood this, because if you’re a writer, you write.  You burn to write. It’s part of who you are. And its fun, too – in fact, Stephen King says writing is the most fun you can have on your own and he’s quite right.

Perhaps it’s a fear of failure or success, but you won’t experience either unless you actually get the words down on the page, so why not start today?  If your writing U-bend needs unblocking first, you should read Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones, and all will soon be flowing freely.  And  I’m going to quote Stephen King again (you should read his book, On Writing) when he says that you should write your first draft with the study door closed, i.e., just for yourself, then the second draft with the door opened, rewriting it with an eye to your readers.   That’s great advice – write with a red-hot pen, let the words rush out onto the page, then hone and polish till it sparkles.

For those going the traditional route and submitting to agents or publishers, a little market research in the Writers and Artists’ Yearbook beforehand can work wonders, so that you’re submitting to an agent or editor who actually handles/publishes the genre of fiction you write.

Of course, to do this you actually need to know what kind of novel you’ve written and make this clear in your synopsis, because if you don’t know, then the agent/publisher certainly won’t.

And once it’s gone, don’t wait for the novel to come back, but crack on with the next one straight away.

Of course, the rise of the e-book has now opened an enticing alternative route and for those who decide to self-publish, I’d strongly advise having your novel independently edited first, because although you may think your first baby is perfect, everyone else will see the all the little defects…and the glaring ones.  Take on board the constructive criticism of the editor without throwing a hissy fit, and then rewrite and polish before publishing, so that it’s as whole and perfect as you can make it.

The e-book market is flooded with novels, but cream will rise to the top – just make sure yours is cream and not a sachet of the white synthetic liquid they give you with your coffee on trains.

A few final snippets of advice: don’t frolic gaily across several genres in your first novel, but stick to one; try not to exceed a hundred thousand words – and please, please don’t attempt first person present tense viewpoint until you’re sure that you are as good an author as Sophie Kinsella.

Good luck, everyone – and above all, have fun!

For more information on Trisha and her novels, visit her website.

Trisha’s new novel, Good Husband Material, is out today. Buy it here.

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by

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.