Take out subscriptions to writing magazines.  Have a go at the competitions.  Enjoy the read.  Take in how author interviews are done.  Learn a lot!  See these magazines as taking your interest in writing seriously.  And they are great to relax with too.  Build up short story successes (listings, winnings etc) to help build up a writing CV.  There is some prestige from winning  or being listed in these magazines.

If you want to write, read and read widely.  I don’t understand those writers who look at you blankly when you ask them what they’re reading.  If you’re not prepared to read what has come before, why should anyone take a chance on your new work?  Read classics and contemporary so you get a feel for what has been done and what is being done now!

Read, read, read.
Write, write, write.
Edit, edit, edit.
Persist, persist, persist.

But target accurately and study the publications you want to write for. There are no shortcuts but this kind of research should be fun given you’re looking into areas where you want to write.

Keep your brain active by writing different things.  It’ll exercise your writing muscles too.  And it makes sure you are never short of something to work on.  It can also buy you time.  If you’re stuck on a novel, you can work on short stories and working on something else can help free the sticking point.  I still don’t believe in writers’ block but I think it natural there’ll be days when the words flow beautifully and others when they don’t!  We’re writers, not robots. _

Don’t try to edit as you write the first draft.  The whole point of the first draft is to get your ideas down.  You shape them later.  Switch off the inner editor until you have something to work with.

Keep an up-to-date copy of The Writers’ and Artists’ Handbook.  Contact details do change frequently.

Don’t give up!

Research agents, publishers etc.  Check details out against the Jonathan Clifford website (given he’s spent his life fighting the publishing industry’s “sharks”). 

Don’t be afraid to ask questions (but do some research first so you ask sensible ones, not something that a quick look on the net would’ve told you).

Remember when writing short stories you are looking at a relatively short period of time in which your tale “happens” so focus on one character, one major change of life event and one viewpoint.  You haven’t room (word count) to have too many characters, viewpoints etc.

Writing short stories and entering them for (reputable) competitions is good practice at writing to a theme and to a deadline.

Buy the magazines you would like your short stories to appear in.  It is a question of supporting your own!

It really is worth double checking spellings and grammar are correct before sending anything out.  You don’t want to give “silly” reasons for an agent/publisher to turn you down.  The only reason should be your work is not right for them.  Also there is a presumption if you can’t be bothered to check things like this the rest of your work will be littered with mistakes.  Nobody has the time to correct these mistakes – it is what you as the author should do.

Read other writers’ blogs (look for those with a good record in the profession) as you learn a lot from these, including how to present a good blog!  You learn a great deal by absorbing.  Follow a few good blogs (if only to make sure you still have plenty of time for your own writing).  If you decide to set up your own blog, plan it well before you start so you have plenty of material to “feed” it.

To always print out on paper before editing.  It is true.  You really do miss things by just trying to edit on screen.

Not only to read (you love books, otherwise you wouldn’t want to write them so this really is no chore) but to do so outside of genre and to include non-fiction.  Stories are sparked from ideas.  Ideas come from what you take in.  See doing this as feeding your brain and  your source of stories!

Put work aside before editing it and then sending it.  You pick up more errors this way as you come to your story “fresh”. 

Read your stories out loud if possible.  Even consider recording them via your PC.  I do this for my radio scripts where the sound of words is almost as important as the words themselves.  It’s also a great way of hearing for yourself whether your dialogue flows or if your words seem awkward, clunky. 

Read writers’ interviews in magazines like Writers’ News/Writing Magazine.  These can be very encouraging and give a huge range of useful tips.

Never be afraid to edit!

Make sure presentation of material is good (no coffee stains etc) and that spelling and grammar are up to scratch.

Try to have more than one piece of work “out there” at any one time. It can help cheer you up when the rejections come in knowing you’ve still got work under consideration.

The more you write, the more pieces you can get out there!  Don’t just wait for one piece to be accepted before you try anything else.

Always have a good dictionary on standby.

Every writer builds on what’s gone before.  The trick is to put in your unique ingredient to add to the mix.  Know where and when you can break the rules.  For instance, it is widely known that fairies can be cruel and capricious.  My ingredient is to get one fairy so fed up with that she defects.

How do your characters develop?  Do they develop?  Remember it doesn’t necessarily have to be for the better.  Bad experiences can make characters bitter.  That in turn can affect their relationships but that character is still developing.

What does your character have to lose/gain from your tale?  Is the stake high enough? How does your character cope with crises?  Do they bring out the best or the worst?  Are there enough crises in your story?  After all something’s got to happen!

Can you make use of your character’s memories to shape them?  For instance, the Queen’s mother was murdered, obviously having a traumatic effect on the Queen and triggering her wish to keep her family close to her, no matter what it takes.

Do your characters have friends?  What do they think of the characters?  Could friends be useful for subplots (though note these still have to move your tale along and shouldn’t be a distraction or a device to get your word count up)? Can the friends guide your characters as to which route they should take? And friends can get it wrong, just as much as the main characters can by themselves.

Do your characters have depth to them?  Do they fall in love, hold grudges, take revenge?  Do they develop say from wanting revenge to finding revenge wasn’t as satisfactory as they thought it might be?  Can you see why your characters act the way they do?

Do you show why your characters are villainous?  Is the reason good enough to keep the villainy going or can it be overcome?  Do you show how your world works?  What’s the system of government?  Are there those who resent the way things are run?

Keep your writing tight.  No unnecessary adjectives etc.  Can you justify every word you write? Tight writing leads to a good, quick pace and easy reading.  Less tight can lead to a more flowing style, which could be appropriate for the pieces in between the moments of high drama.  Don’t let such less tight writing go on for too long. You want to use it to serve you, not to unwittingly bring in a “boring” bit (it will seem boring if the slower flow drags on).

Can you picture your characters?  I don’t have character biographies, though I can see the point of drawing them up, but I can see the type of being that L’Evallier is for example in my mind’s eye and it makes writing for that character a lot easier.

Inventing my own characters who then take on a life of their own.

Inventing my own worlds, which seem, in my mind’s eye, as real to me as this one.

Writing dialogue especially between “sparky” characters or for those, like Eileen, for whom hypocrisy is something that happens to someone else.

Escaping this world for a while! Especially when the news is grim, this is a good idea.

Getting the first draft written down as then I’ve something to work on and improve.

Editing the first draft as whatever it is I’m working on will immediately improve as this is where I get rid of repetitions, stupid spelling or grammar errors and so on.

Is the joy of creating something that is uniquely mine. 

Is looking back at my work and genuinely being pleased with it.

When a story comes together, especially if it’s one where I’ve taken ages to work it out.  I always do an outline.  When the outline flows, so does the story as a general rule but on some I find it’s like digging under the surface to find out what the real story is and when I have found that, I find that satisfying.  It’s as if I’ve not let something defeat me here.

When I receive acceptances or am shortlisted.  Doesn’t happen nearly often enough!

When I know I’ve fallen in love with my characters.

Discovering you’ve been shortlisted either because someone’s notified you or you suddenly spot your name in Writers’ News at the relevant point!  A little validation goes a very long way… »

Getting to read how-to-write books.  I’ve learned something useful from all I’ve read. »

Knowing when a piece of work is rejected, it is not a comment on you and that the thing to do is send the piece out again to an appropriate market.  If all else fails, rewrite the piece, perhaps in a different format.  Waste nothing!

Always take out what you can from your stories without losing the sense of them.  It’ll make your writing tighter, quicken the pace and if you can do without those words, do so.  They’re not contributing anything are they? Less is always more.

Get into your characters’ heads as quickly as you can.  Can you sum up their main characteristic in one or two words?  Can you sum up your story in a line or two?  Are your characters different so you can tell them apart? Do their voices sound different so nobody is confused as to who speaks?

Moments of weakness in a character can be used to strengthen their portrayal.  We all have moments like this - fictional characters should reflect that.  It is then what real and fictional people do after having such moments that can add or make a story.

Proverbs are a good source of basic plot ideas which can be expanded out. 

Look at what your characters have to gain or lose.  Is that motivation strong enough for the plot you’ve got in mind?

Raise your characters’ problems, ambitions, ensure there is enough tension in your story.  You do want to make a drama out of a crisis!  (Without overdoing it of course!)

Consider politics!  Whatever your fictional world, it will come into play.  How does it affect the ruling classes?  The peasants?  How did the politics come about?  Is there gender equality? Freedom of belief and/or speech?  Are broadcasters, journalists or their equivalent free to report as they like or are they subject to controls and who operates those?

Since seriously trying to write short stories as well as the Brenebourne series, I’ve tended to type directly on to the computer.  I have found it helpful to run my short story out on paper just before I think it’s ready to go as I’ve picked up errors that way which I missed when going through the same thing on screen.  I don’t know why it’s sometimes easier to see things on paper than on screen but my experience tells me it just is! 

The nice thing about short stories is you finish them relatively quickly, you can get them out there, always have something on the go or out there and if you do have any successes it’s useful stuff to put on your writing CV.  Writing short stories as well as the novels has made me feel more like a proper writer as I’m submitting work more regularly.  I also hope it’ll have a knock on positive effect on the novels too!

Give yourself time to re-read your work before sending it out. Re-reading can remind you that you did write a good tale.  Equally a gap between writing it and reading it can help you see ways of fine-tuning your tale to make it even better. 

Read inside and outside your genre(s). Writers love reading, it’s why we write, we want to add to the great grand canon of books and stories out there.  Reading outside your genre can inspire you and ensure you don’t just read, and therefore just write, one kind of thing.  It helps keep your writing fresh. 

Ensure you follow presentational rules. Or everything you do will be automatically dismissed and sent back to you.  Everyone gets the thud on the mat as their work gets rejected so at least make sure yours is turned down due to publishers and not to anything you’ve failed to do, which you should’ve picked up on. 

Get into the habit of writing regularly even if is just ten minutes daily. Regular writing means you are writing.  The more you write, the better you get as you find better ways of doing things to make the most of the time you do have.  To become a professional writer, you need to “ape” them in the nicest possible way and they write regularly enough! 

Outline your work. It’ll keep you on tangent.  It isn’t necessary to go into everything.  For the novels, I outline what has to happen in each chapter but not necessarily what leads between each scene unless I have thought of something immediately.  I like a novel plan to be flexible enough to allow for ideas as you go (that should happen, as it shows your story’s “alive”) so you can fit them in but to give enough of a structure to prove (a) I have one (!) and (b) I know where the tale’s going to end up even if I don’t know the exact ending.  For short stories, I outline the character and focus on one point of change (there’s generally not enough room for more given the limited word count).

Keep a copy of all you send out. Never send precious originals (this is even more pertinent for artwork and photos).  Items getting lost, postal strikes and spilled coffees happen!  •Keep a record of what you send where and results. Useful for accountancy purposes and to make sure you don’t send the same story to the same person twice (unless, of course, they’ve asked you to resubmit it, highly unlikely). 

Also I’ve found using the Mslexia diary helpful – for one thing I’ve been overcome with the urge to fill the blank pages and the only way to do that is to get work out there.  The more work out, the greater the chances of success but it then becomes more vital to be able to track what you’ve sent where. 

Read your work out loud (to yourself, a friend, a recording device)  Vital for poetry, it’s also useful for prose, particularly dialogue.  If you trip over words so will your readers and then it’s time for the editing pen again.

Have an up to date Writers and Artists Yearbook to hand.

Have subscription to Writers’ News/Writing Magazine. For good advice on all writing issues, for competitions and news of markets, especially short story ones.  To learn something of what is going on in the industry (though for more details it would pay to subscribe to The Bookseller or as I do visit their website often).  There are other writing magazines out there but this is the one I read most often.  Mslexia is useful for their wonderful diary, short story comp and writing from a women’s perspective but Writers’ News gives a wider range of markets.

Don’t expect to get your work right first go. Nobody does.  Practically everything writing wise is improved by a darned good edit! 

Have reference books to hand – dictionary, thesaurus, Brewer’s Phrase and Fable, Chambers Book of Facts, a history, book of proverbs, Bible and so on. Obviously for checking facts but also for direct inspiration.  Many a short story has come out of an old proverb!  Bible stories like Samson and Delilah can inspire a modern take on that – the themes of love, jealousy and betrayal are universal. Brewers makes for a wonderful read given it gives the source of phrases and fables.  

Print work out on paper and edit on paper before sending out anywhere.  It’s easy to miss things on screen.  Printing out acts as a useful double check.  And it’s easier to see how your work “looks”.  I use the reverse side of these drafts for scrap paper and often use it to scribble my next novel. 

Don’t rely on the computer spell and grammar check solely. 

Always use a good dictionary/grammar guide as well.  The computer doesn’t always get it right!  Mine seems to have an aversion to the word “their”, it keeps saying I should use “his or her”!  Imagine how clunky that would sound in a story!  See the computer checks as a starting guide only.  I use the Concise Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus.   

Make sure you know your character well enough to be able to write about them. Or you’ll have no story!  Or you’ll quickly reach a dead end.  Some writers do a full character CV.  I tend not to but do start with a main trait and take things from there.  For example in Eileen’s case, I gave her the traits of awkwardness and defiance.  Loads of stories can come from that! 

Enjoy your writing!  Or there’s no point to doing it at all, is there?  Also I think if you love what you write, it will show in what you write and make it a more enjoyable read and therefore a more publishable one. 

Know your market. How else can you sell your work?  And be aware there are short story openings on the web, radio, small presses as well as the traditional magazines. 

Proof read your own work before submitting.  Try to make sure you allow enough time for this.  I once sent a story off in a hurry to meet the deadline, it didn’t do anything in the competition it was entered for and on its return I saw a blatant mistake.  I’d changed the name of the main character and didn’t ensure the change went all the way through the story!   Learn from your mistakes and do something positive with them! I took this story, corrected it, amended it and expanded it and sent it off somewhere else that allowed for a longer word count.  The amended story I feel is much better as I was able to expand the characters that much more.  So something good came out of my faux pas! 

Read author interviews in magazines. You can learn a lot from them and when several writers recommend writing books – for example Stephen King’s On Writing – get a copy and read it!  I did – oh and I recommend Mr King’s book too! 

What happens in your story?  Can you sum up your story quickly, ideally in one easy to read sentence?  How would you write your blurb?  Do you know whose story your tale belongs to (and therefore are you writing it from the right point of view)?  Show your characters’ thought processes. We readers need to know the way your characters think (or at least to think we know, villains of course seek to deceive).  We need to be able to gauge your characters, get a feel for them so to speak so we can identify with them and therefore keep reading.  Do your characters grab your attention?  If they don’t, they won’t be grabbing anyone else’s!

My outlines are not set in stone.  Nor should yours be.  Often I’ve outlined a short story to realize as I was writing it the outline would be more suitable for a tale of over 3000 words, way too long for most competitions.  In a sense I’ve not been sorry about this as it makes me re-evaluate my outline and story and make it sharper, tighter, bring it down to the bare bones as most short stories are around the 1500 to 2000 word mark so they have to be to the point.  But the biggest advantage of an outline is you can work out ideas first rather than start writing a tale and find you run out of steam.  I also don’t allow myself too long to do the outline.  A couple of sessions to work it out and then I get writing…  Outlines are there to help you write the tale, not to help you procrastinate (and there are so many fascinating writing blogs and books that can keep you away from what you should be doing - write!).

Check everything before sending it out.  Always keep a wide range of envelopes and postage stamps in.  Incidentally don’t fold everything so you can get it in a small envelope and use normal postage.  For my short stories, I tend to fold once and use A5 envelopes.  You can get books of “large” first class stamps (which cover A5 envelopes and weights up to about 100 grams, more than enough for most short stories).  Use good quality paper and envelopes.  It does show.  You don’t want to give the impression you’re a cheapskate!  When sending novels out, use two elastic bands around the manuscript and ideally put it in one of the boxes that A4 paper comes in. I’ve found my local stationers (literally just down the road from me) will sell “pop up” bottoms and tops of boxes suitable for sending novels.  And lastly do use a good quality Jiffy envelope.  Using tape to secure it is fine but don’t use staples.  People do catch fingers on them! 
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Coming up with a story that works! 

Reading something you’ve written and, without arrogance, thinking yes this is good. 

Taking yourself into a different world (this is especially nice when the real world is giving you a hard time).

Inventing characters and as you write about them sensing them coming to life, taking on their own personalities and knowing these characters are unique to you.

Developing ideas as you write which either improve the story you’re working on or give you scope for more stories to follow on with. 

The sense of achievement when you have completed a piece of work, which is only better when said work is published. 

Getting your name in print for your creative piece of work.  Discovering you really can produce something publishable!

Knowing I’m creating something unique. 

Taking myself out of this world for a while, particularly helpful when going through a bad patch.  Writing is therapy. 

When someone tells you they like what you’ve written.  When you’re asked for advice because you’re a writer as it’s always nice to be recognized as such by someone!

All would-be writers are told to read a lot in genre and out of it so one major benefit of writing is getting to do a lot of reading and being able to claim you need to do it as part of your professional development!  As a result of reading more, discovering new authors’ work to enjoy and as a result finding your own stories are inspired by a wide range of genres and styles, which will bring your work to (a) life and (b) keep it going for the long term.  You work your reading and writing muscles here.

Creating stories is fun in itself.  It’s also a positive thing to do.  Stories are practically as old as humanity itself and though the form in which they’re told changes, the need for stories will always be with us.  Stories are also great for getting messages across without preaching.  And a good story entertains, makes you think and sticks in the memory.  I want some of my stories to stick in people’s memories - for good reasons!

Getting the first draft down as then I’ve got something to work with. 

Getting the first edit done as I start sensing the story “tighten” up. 

Getting the final version out knowing I’ve written and edited it to the best of my ability.  What is nice is when the final version is a dramatic improvement on the first draft, as it should be. 

It’s also encouraging to keep coming up with ideas to write about.  Whilst there are humans, there are always human conditions and whims and ways to write about.

The Queen's Head Cook
The Queen’s Head Cook guards her recipes and papers as jealously as her boss and sovereign guards the fairy royal powers!  The Head Cook sets the daily menu and those working under her have to cook in the pre-determined way - that is what she thinks is right.  In fairness, the meals prepared are delicious and the Head Cook generally is right but don’t look for invention and originality here.  It has only been the Queen’s insistence that cuisine from other worlds makes a regular appearance that anything new comes on to the menu at all.  Some of these new dishes go down welll (lasagne, pizza, casseroles), others do not (the idea of toad in the hole has totally been misunderstood here!  They look for the toads and believe humans are mis-selling the dish because there aren’t any toads in it).  The one thing the Head Cook is proud of is the way the kitchen works as a well oiled team, nobody goes hungry and the kitchens are kept meticulously clean.

Roherum
Roherum is also a writer, producing material for the papers.  He also writes all his interviews up, gets them published in book form and archives them at the FNN studios.  He also keeps his own copies.  He sees doing this as keeping accurate historical records to accompany the films he made.  Naturally Roherum writes things up from his viewpoint and as a result his works can be unintentionally funny.  Roherum insists his books for FNN will not be published in his lifetime mainly because he wants to make sure he does not upset the Queen.  The weatherman claims the goblin wants to make sure nobody could query his version of events. Naturally both points are true.  Roherum is also determined not to have his books reviewed while he’s still alive to take the brickbats he expects to be hurled at him.  He thinks it’s because he defends the common magical being.  He won’t acknowledge there are times he can be a right idiot and far too full of himself.

Travellers
Travellers (unless obviously of an evil disposition - and everyone in the Kingdom thinks they can tell) are usually made welcome.  The Kingdom is well aware of the Christian story on Earth and want to make sure they don’t turn anyone away they should be in awe of.  Sadly this does not apply to members of other magical worlds as the Kingdom has fought the lot in its history (though often the fairy world has been the defender).  It is felt friendly magical beings would make it clear they had a good disposition nor would they try to rob the realm of its magical plants and creatures (never considered an act of good will).  Gwendolyn was the Kingdom’s most experienced traveller but given the havoc this caused because of the things/people she brought back with her and tried to impose on her own people, it is felt the majority of the Kingdom should be jolly well content to stay at home.  Only those on active service for the Queen should be sent anywhere.

The Chief Wizard
The Chief Wizard has a set of work rooms in the Palace which has to be available for inspection at any time by the Queen and her Council.  This requirement is recent and was brought in after Brankaresh’s treachery.  The work rooms are in the lower two tiers of the Palace, well away from the middle tier which is where the business of government is carried out.  The Queen takes the view if a spell is going to go wrong, it can do so well away from her!  There are protection spells on her rooms, the State Dining Room and the Council members’ offices so even if a Chief Wizard does do something disastrous these rooms are likely to be able to salvaged even if the rest of the Palace falls down. 
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Decent one-liners that make me laugh.

A story that shows me motivations or stresses characters are under that I might not have considered before.  For example murders are committed for serious reasons and to what appears to others to be trivial ones.  Yet a good story will take you into the mind of that murderer and show why the trivial reason isn’t trivial to them.

Good, sharp pace with quiet bits in between giving me good background on the setting and characters, knowing said quiet bits are gearing the reader up for the next big scene.

A satisfactory ending, which is not the same as a happy one necessarily.  The ending has to be right for the story and the main character.  It won’t feel right if the match isn’t there.

Characters I can rally behind (or metaphorically boo for) but either reaction has to be genuine.  I don’t want to see the author’s hand making their characters act in a certain way.  The characters’ acting has to be realistic for those characters.

I love getting to the end of a story or novel and in a sense wishing neither had ended.  Always a sign of a well told tale!  Going back over a story/novel and picking up the bits I missed first go around.  This is particularly true for a detective novel.  I always miss some of the clues on the first read!

I like a happy ending where the hero/heroine has “earned” it.  I also like to see villains get their comeuppance but again in a realistic manner.  Villains generally are not going to fall apart.  They can be caught out.

Every word to count…  Funnily enough that doesn’t necessarily mean everything has to be short but that each word is appropriate for the story being told.  In P.G. Wodehouse’s stories so often he uses very long sentences (he’d never get away with it now!) but not a word is out of place and indeed especially when Wooster’s narrating the long-windedness is part of (a) the character’s charm and (b) the character’s characteristics!

Positive developments in characters, especially a character that goes on to make something good out of themselves. 

I like pinpointing moments of change in a story and watching the drama unfold.

Feeling a slight sense of envy I didn’t write the story/novel I’ve enjoyed is a good sign - and nothing but a compliment to the actual author!

Inventing back story and descriptions of my characters' likes and dislikes for my websites.  My characters seem more real to me doing this. 

Receiving good feedback on anything I've submitted.  While there is nothing to beat the good feeling you get when your story is accepted, good feedback is the next best thing.  Use it wisely and it'll help get your work published the next time you sent it out.  (And if more than one person tells you roughly the same thing you ignore that advice at your own peril).

Thinking of songs that suit my characters.   I've ended up with quite a play list.  Much as I love Desert Island Discs I know I'd have a hard job getting my selection down to a mere 8l 

Finishing my writing session for the evening and having thorougly enjoyed myself and feeiling I've got lots done.

A story that keeps me guessing.  While I love being able to second guess an author and be proved right, I also enjoy being proved wrong!

Characters that grow and develop and make new mistakes, which trigger new stories!

In series novels like Discworld, I love references back to previous works.  (I also love the digs at things on our world too!)

It being accepted!  Successes do breed confidence.  Confidence helps your writing. 

Feedback (critical and positive) via sites with good reputations like Shortbread as  you learn a lot from things like this.  Also contribute as it shouldn’t be one-way traffic.

Witty characters who grow on you, who come up with memorable one-liners, who live on in your imagination after the tale ends.

Seeing work improve and read better as I edit.  I should be able to sense the work “tightening up”.

Being able to tell my characters apart thanks to their use of language, style of dress etc

As I write more, I’m filling in mental pictures of my made-up worlds.  Ironically it helps make my world seem more real.  I like that.

Prose that is easy to read and flows at a great pace.  Whenever someone makes something easy to read, you can bet that same someone sweated blood to get to that point.

Memorable phrases.

Funny one-liners.

Characters that you want to read more about as it means the writer’s carried out their work properly.

Good, crisp writing which flows and is easy to read.  (This usually means the author has sweated blood to get to that point).

Characters that drive the plot, are the “authors of their own misfortune” or “create their own luck” as this means the characters have gripped the reader, are convincing and their powerful impact will make the story memorable, something every author wants.

A strong plot, a page turner, a story that you will remember years afterwards yet always be happy to re-read it.

I do like a decent one-liner but it must be appropriate to the character and follow out of the situation that person is in.

Sympathetic characters, characters with flaws who know they’ve got them and try to overcome them and I have a soft spot for villains who, while their actions are wrong, do have genuine reasons for acting the way they have (and that the good guys may not always be as good as you might think).

Wit!

Missing the characters when the story’s finished.  Or you can envisage how they would continue if the story went on further.  This is a good test of how memorable characters are.

Words that don’t seem out of place, prose that flows and being able to tell the characters apart by how they speak.

A fast pace!  No “boring” bits.  I want to be gripped by the narrative as well as by the dialogue.

Joy of Creativity
The sheer joy of creating something from nothing and knowing this work is uniquely yours.  Your characters have their own lives and you find yourself rooting for them.  If you are caught up in your work and believe it, there’s every chance others will do so.  If you can’t believe it, nobody else will.  Producing something that is creative (and in general terms creativity is a good thing both for the individual and to society – a society that doesn’t appreciate its arts tends to have lots of other, nastier problems to deal with too).

Escapism
Being taken away from the pains and trials of this world as you create your own characters and situation.  Writing can be amazing therapy. Taking me out of “real life” as there are times I physically feel the need for that.

Being Published
Seeing your work in print or on the web and getting good feedback (good in terms of useful criticism and, yes, some praise is nice but beware the flatterer.  Vanity presses always flatter).

Completing the First Draft and the Joy of Editing
Getting the first draft down and then improving it by cutting out what’s not needed and knowing the story really is much better.  I get a lot of satisfaction out of that and it improves the chances of publication no end!

Writing Leads to Enjoying Reading More
Enjoying well written how-to-write books as I learn a lot from all of them!  I particularly love reading interviews with other authors as they explain what works for them.  It’s encouraging when you realise you’re finding the same things work for you. – Enjoying the subtle phrase, oblique references (Terry Pratchett’s especially good at these) and hopefully getting to write some too!  It’s a bit like finally cracking the cryptic crossword when you come up with good oblique references of your own that you know others who read reasonably well will get.

Cutting and Pasting
Cut and paste is so much easier to do on PC, as is keeping an accurate word count!  I can remember doing these tasks manually and that way is tedious to say the least.  Cutting and pasting material can strengthen your writing as no writer writes everything in the correct order all at once. Having to move material is inevitable.

Stories Coming to Life
When my stories and characters come to life and seem almost as real as “real” people, I receive a great deal of satisfaction as if knowing I’m writing “properly”, I’m “doing it right” as such characters need to “catch on”.  If I can’t convince myself, I’ll have a hard job selling the book to anyone else.

Knowing My Writing is Unique to Me
Knowing this is something I am doing.  Nobody can write my stories in exactly the same way so even if someone had the same ideas as me, the way they’d write the works out would be different.  While not meaning to be an egocentric, it is nice to know there is something I do that’s unique to me.

Audio Books
Listen to audio books.  Not only are they great fun (well they are if you listen to Pratchett ones!) but you can learn a lot about how words flow, how dialogue should sound to the ear and so on.  And you can put them on whilst you’re working.  It’s a bit difficult reading a book while cooking the dinner!

Reading
Read in and out of your current era.  See how things used to be done - you may find a use for it, if only in wanting to craft an old-fashioned character and how they might speak.  Think about how the things we take for granted would seem to anyone who’s not come across them before. Read inside and out of your own genre.  Get inspirations from many sources

Messengers and Information
An angel is a messenger.  Is there anyone playing that role in your work?  How does information get passed on?

Some Recommended Reading
Research for Writers  by Ann Hoffman is well worth having in your library as not only does it advise on how to research, it gives lists of website addresses and so on that may prove profitable to your work.  On Writing by Stephen King is often recommended for beginner writers by the professionals - rightly, it is brilliant.  Strongly recommend getting a copy.  From Pitch to Publication by Carole Blake does everything it says in the title, which in itself is something to aim for in your work.

Sense of Place
Have a sense of place in your work.  It adds colour, depth and reality, can help your readers “see” what you see.  People get defensive about places that are special to them - can you use that trait?

Motives for Writing
You must write for the love of it.  It’ll be that which keeps you going during the periods of hopelessness and constant rejections.  Also when you meet those who dismiss writers or at least dismiss what you write!

Look after Yourself
Ensure your typing position is correct.  RSI is a pain in every sense. 

Writing Stages
See your novels as stages.  The first stage is getting the initial ideas down on paper.  Then comes the first edit, the second edit and so on.  Don’t send out anywhere until you know you can’t do any further improvements to it.  And do edit on paper.  It’s easy to not see things on screen.

Criticism
Listen to criticism carefully.  Yes, you will get the negative, destructive stuff, everyone does.  You will also get criticism that genuinely will help you improve your work.  The clever bit is working out which is which but good criticism will open your eyes to new possibilities and/or confirm thoughts you may have had as to how strong/weak a piece is. See criticism as a tool.  It is for you to use it to improve your work. It is not something to beat you up, no matter how much others might want it to be!

Grudges
Grudges cast long shadows.  Things from the past affecting today form the basis of many a great story.  Anything you can use here?  And bear in mind that a character’s development takes time.  Eileen has become awkward because she has become fed up with being “used”.  The Witch wants to take the Kingdom to avenge slights, real and imagined, on her family by the fairy royals.  The Witch “forgets” her own family attacked the royals, naturally the royals were going to fight back. 

Character Motivation
Have your characters got enough to play for?  Their ambition has got to be strong enough.  It’s no good just wishing for something to happen.  Have they the means, or the ability to find the means, to achieve t hem?  What will they do to achieve them?  Have they got limits? Can they see to the end of the road?  Do they know where they want to end up?

Your World History
Does your setting have a history, which may well affect your characters?  The Fairy Kingdom has a history of wars between witches, wizards and fairies, leading to barren areas, which in turn is leading to overpopulation in certain parts of the realm.  This led to Eileen suggesting the more responsible magical beings living, in disguise, on other worlds.  She got shouted down yet she knows this issue won’t just go away no matter how much the Queen and Council try to ignore it.  Has your world got issues it needs to face?  What is its system of government?  If your world seems real to you, it should seem real to your readers.  And every world has to be run by someone - someone with a past, character traits that can benefit the realm/cause it great problems.  There’s got to be some great stories in that!

Write What You Want to Write
Write what you want to write.  Don’t try to aim for something that’s currently popular as by the time your MSS is ready, the publishing world will be well on to the next big thing and probably the one after that too.  Have in mind an ideal reader for your work.  If you can picture one, you can picture a market for your work, something to bear in mind when drafting a submission letter to an agent or publisher.

Appropriate Speech
Use speech appropriate for your characters.  I make L’Evallier speak in a very formal way.  He will never use abbreviations such as I’ll, it is always I will.  The Queen, by contrast, generally speaks formally but when stressed lets some abbreviations leave her lips.  This also confirms it is the Chief Elf who’s the real snob in the realm. Do your characters speak the same way to everyone they meet?  They shouldn’t.  We don’t.  I love writing about Eileen  mainly because she doesn’t have a problem with hypocrisy.  This shows up in her dialogue.  While Eileen is not formal at all, she speaks as formally as she is going to get with the Queen, attempts but fails to browbeat her daughter, and bosses everyone else, usually successfully but even there she is more wary with L’Evallier, partly as he is an ally, partly because she knows if anyone will tell her where to go it will be him.

Character Habits
Do your characters have habits?  Traits they’re not conscious of but which others observe?  Details like that add to your novel.  Eileen has a reputation for eccentricity due to her name change, defection, and she wears seperates, not traditional fairy costume, all of which I’ve drip fed into the books. 

Patience
Expect a long hard slog to publication.  Don’t give up.  If it comes to it, consider self publishing but don’t go down the vanity route - it will backfire.  People in the industry know who these companies are and will avoid your work like the plague.  Better to take a long time and get it right.

Writing Conferences
Go to the writing conferences.  They’re good fun, you learn a lot and you may make useful contacts.  And yes it can help make you feel like you are a “proper” writer, something the unpublished relish from time to time - or at least this one does.

Receipts
Keep receipts for stationery etc.  If you need to prove to the Inland Revenue, you are a writer, albeit part time, you need the evidence for it!  Going to conferences backs this up too, as does subscribing to professional writing magazines.

Joining Professional Bodies
If there’s a professional body relating to your genre, consider joining it.  I must admit to not having joined the British Fantasy Society as yet, partly due to my writing grown-up fairy tales (would it be considered viable?), but am not ruling it out.

Getting Feedback (and not from family and friends)
Get an unbiased opinion on your work.  Friends/family can’t help there but there are numerous editorial services available.  I used the Hilary Johnson service and their report was fine but there’s a good list in the Writers’ and Artists’  Yearbook.  Most have websites giving further details of what they do.

Eileen and Jenny
I like Eileen seeing the good side of humanity when the Kingdom despises us for greed, pollution and warmongering and assumes there isn’t good left.  Jenny shows the struggle of being a half being - not belonging to either world and experiencing the clash between cultures. She sees the disadvantages to both worlds and is torn between them. Jenny resents her mother for dropping her in it.  Eileen put out by Jenny’s attitude.  She had not foreseen Jenny being so hostile, mainly on the grounds Jenny does owe her existence to her.  Eileen and Jenny end up fighting for their right to stay on earth and hate the Queen for trying to force them back. 

Summaries of Characters
I’ve always loved reading lines in other books where you can tell a lot about a character in that short section.  The first one I felt I did well was where in The Trouble With Mother Hanastrew complains about being made by Eileen to use the instant transport spell with its inherent risks of not having all your bits rematerialize properly with one girl recently losing an arm through the method.  Eileen’s retort if the girl had lost her head, she would’ve understood the complaints I was pleased with the moment I wrote it.  To get sympathy from this woman, you have to die!  Tells you all you need to know, yes?

Knowing My Characters
I like to know my characters’ main trait before I start writing.  In Eileen’s case it is awkwardness taken to the nth degree.  She lands others and herself right in it.  Plenty of stories there I hope! I also like to know what my major characters want and to ensure there are plenty of clashes.  No clash = no story. I also like to give my main villain a really powerful motive for their actions.  Anything less is unconvincing.  And it has to be a motive anyone can identify with - a kind of I can understand where this character is coming from approach.

Short Stories
I like to get a short story out and then immediately start work on another one.  It means I always have something on the go and something out there, which hopefully will be accepted!

Character Traits
Just as we have a mixture of good traits, bad habits and irritating traits, so should your characters.  Eileen is courageous, bends the rules and is as stubborn as they come.  How good that is depends on (a) what circumstances she is in and (b) who is on the receiving end of this.  The Queen does not approve at all.  Eileen is a pain in the neck to her and to Jenny yet when you want someone with grit to tackle the latest magical threat, Eileen is the one to call.

How do your Characters adjust?
How well do your characters adjust to circumstances and/or other characters as they change?  Jenny becomes more adept at magic and more aware of what her mother’s up to and Eileen is aware this is not necessarily a good thing as what she used to get away with, she can’t now.  How your characters react to and handle changes reveals a great deal about them...

Using Grudges
Grudges cast long shadows.  Things from the past affecting today form the basis of many a great story.  Anything you can use here?  And bear in mind that a character’s development takes time.  Eileen has become awkward because she has become fed up with being “used”.  The Witch wants to take the Kingdom to avenge slights, real and imagined, on her family by the fairy royals.  The Witch “forgets” her own family attacked the royals, naturally the royals were going to fight back. 

Using Ambitions
Have your characters got enough to play for?  Their ambition has got to be strong enough.  It’s no good just wishing for something to happen.  Have they the means, or the ability to find the means, to achieve them?  What will they do to achieve them?  Have they got limits? Can they see to the end of the road?  Do they know where they want to end up?

Using History
Does your setting have a history, which may well affect your characters?  The Fairy Kingdom has a history of wars between witches, wizards and fairies, leading to barren areas, which in turn is leading to overpopulation in certain parts of the realm.  This led to Eileen suggesting the more responsible magical beings living, in disguise, on other worlds.  She got shouted down yet she knows this issue won’t just go away no matter how much the Queen and Council try to ignore it.  Has your world got issues it needs to face?  What is its system of government?  If your world seems real to you, it should seem real to your readers.  And every world has to be run by someone - someone with a past, character traits that can benefit the realm/cause it great problems.  There’s got to be some great stories in that!

Writing True to Yourself
Write what you want to write.  Don’t try to aim for something that’s currently popular as by the time your MSS is ready, the publishing world will be well on to the next big thing and probably the one after that too.  Have in mind an ideal reader for your work.  If you can picture one, you can picture a market for your work, something to bear in mind when drafting a submission letter to an agent or publisher.

Using Appropriate Speech
Use speech appropriate for your characters.  I make L’Evallier speak in a very formal way.  He will never use abbreviations such as I’ll, it is always I will.  The Queen, by contrast, generally speaks formally but when stressed lets some abbreviations leave her lips.  This also confirms it is the Chief Elf who’s the real snob in the realm. Do your characters speak the same way to everyone they meet?  They shouldn’t.  We don’t.  I love writing about Eileen mainly because she doesn’t have a problem with hypocrisy.  This shows up in her dialogue.  While Eileen is not formal at all, she speaks as formally as she is going to get with the Queen, attempts but fails to browbeat her daughter, and bosses everyone else, usually successfully but even there she is more wary with L’Evallier, partly as he is an ally, partly because she knows if anyone will tell her where to go it will be him.

Using Habits
Do your characters have habits?  Traits they’re not conscious of but which others observe?  Details like that add to your novel.  Eileen has a reputation for eccentricity due to her name change, defection, and she wears seperates, not traditional fairy costume, all of which I’ve drip fed into the books. 

Writing Routine
Over time I’ve got into a routine of writing in the evenings (I’m more than happy to give up TV) and stick to it.  My brain slips into “writing time” as I sit at my desk at roughly the same time each night.  I schedule in my writing time so all my jobs are done during the day as I’m one of those people who can’t relax enough to write if I’ve anything outstanding.  It does bug me!  And above all I keep going.  Persistence is a virtue!

Editing
I write novels long-hand and then use the typing up as my first edit.  I  usually manage to get rid of repetition during this process.  I didn’t plan my first novel out in detail, it kind of evolved over time, but now I do work out plot details first.  Does that stifle creativity?  I don’t think so.  I’ve found it triggers ideas and I can work out which of these I can use and where I can put them into my novel before actually writing it.  It helps me not to go off the tangent and a plan helps me see gaps so I can then fill them in so I don’t write myself into a corner.

I edit, and edit, and edit.  First edit is to get rid of repetition, including all unnecessary adjectives.  Second edit is to look at the plot as a whole.  Does it work?  Is anything missing?  By the time I get to a third read through and edit, I can usually spot where I can tighten the novel up further.  At that point I think about sending it off somewhere!

Read Throughs
Do spend time reading your work through on paper.  I’ve lost count of the number of things I spotted on paper I totally missed on screen.  There must be a psychological reason behind that but it won’t impress an editor!  I always use the reverse side of anything I’ve worked on as scrap paper.  Ensure toner/ink cartridges are up to scratch.  If you’re wondering whether you need to change them before sending anything out, the answer is yes, you do!  Editors/agents are looking for reasons to turn you down so don’t give them any! 

Knowing Your Market
Think about your market carefully.  Do you know who your latest story, novel is aimed at?  Can you sum it up quickly (ideally in one sentence)?  And do write what you love.  Nobody can second guess how the market will go and I believe that if you write with true enthusiasm it will show in your work.  I also believe if you try to write something to fit a perceived market, that will also show in your work.