Rule One – Don't get stuck on the title

I’m sure I’m not alone in often finding writing very difficult. I procrastinate, then feel guilty, which for some perverse reason makes me procrastinate even more. Last year I hit upon a few strategies and simple rules to keep me writing. I am also easily discouraged and expect instant greatness from a first draft, so a few of my maxims are aimed at counteracting that pressure. I am certainly not purporting to have found a magic formula for authorial success, and if you ask on what authority I give these recommendations, certainly it is not from the perspective of a literary heavyweight. You should probably pay more attention when Margaret Atwood tells you to eat shade-grown, organic dark chocolate to cure writer’s block and not only because she’s advocating the consumption of chocolate – she is a Booker prize winner after all. And as for my own rules, I can’t even claim that I follow them to the letter. However, perhaps I would be a happier and better writer if I did.

1. Just because what you’re writing doesn’t seem to come easily or naturally, it doesn’t mean you aren’t any good. Writing is hard work.
2. Take as long as you need. Your writing will need time and dedication to reach its potential. Don’t feel inferior because you don’t work quickly.
3. Enjoy telling your story. Relish every word.
4. Listen to the advice of other writers if it seems helpful – but don’t be afraid to disregard what you don’t agree with. There is clearly no one recipe for success.
   
5. Keep writing and inventing.

If you have any tips that keep you feeling inspired and creative, why not share them below? This post was partly inspired by a Guardian article from last year – Ten Rules for Writing Fiction, where various authors offered their own advice. I especially like the first rule from Roddy Doyle – “Do not place a photograph of your ­favourite author on your desk, especially if the author is one of the famous ones who committed suicide.” Which rules do you think are the most helpful?