Can you tell your characters apart by the way they speak? Just as no two humans speak in exactly the same way, neither should your characters. Do their mannerisms back up their method of speech or is there a clash between them? For example, I make L’Evallier speak in a very formal manner, no contractions ever, but his lifestyle reflects that dignity. The Queen generally speaks formally but lapses when under stress. Her behaviour reflects that too. It is worse when under stress.
Motivaitons
Do other characters help relief that stress or deliberately aggravate it (or in Eileen’s case, sometimes, both!)? What are your characters’ motivations? Are they strong enough to convince your reader? Have characters you love, have those you hate but don’t have any you’re indifferent about as it will show and will lose you your reader.
Good Ideas for any Writer
Invest in a good dictionary, grammar guide and one of the writers’ handbooks. You will need them!
Read your work out loud. Possibly put it on tape. It helps you “hear” your dialogue. If you “trip” over your words, your readers will too. You don’t realise until you speak the words.
Have a go at the reputable story competitions (a writing magazine will alert you to these). If you win you have something to put on your writing CV. If you write in a genre, look up the relevant genre websites. There’ll be at least one!!!
Back up your work regularly, back up your work regularly, back up your work regularly and, did I mention it, back up your work regularly! I’ve lost work due to a power cut but because I backed up earlier that evening I limited what I lost. I put the novels on the hard disk and a memory stick.
Enjoy writing. If you can’t get fun out of it, nobody who reads your work will either. You give away more than you realise when you write. Falseness will show.
ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS write your OWN material. Why would you want to plagarise? Your writing is your chance to show the world your take on it so why copy someone else?
I don’t listen to music whilst I’m writing. Why? Because it affects my mood and that in turn affects my story. I’ve occasionally put on a piece of music when I want to get into a set mood for a set scene but generally I consider music whilst writing the author’s equivalent of performance enhancing drugs!