Every author has a style of their own, but the end result is always the same: a title, a book cover with a blurb for the back and a completed manuscript pressed between the covers. Your outline will begin with varying degrees of plotting, planning followed by writing, reading, editing and rewriting and often times it might be reorganized again. And there is no right or wrong way of writing just so long as the story is complete and it reaches a satisfactory conclusion. Remember to plan time for research as it is ultimately important – to ensure the story is realistic.

Your planning is complete, and your imagination is buzzing with energy. The big moment has arrived: it’s time to switch from planning to writing. You are about to become a conduit for the characters living inside of you.

Know and be comfortable with your writing style

There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to writing styles. Maybe it takes time for you to put pen to paper or maybe you have no problem writing drafts, but grapple with producing concise documents. I, for instance, am a slow writer, and I know that it will take me a long time to produce a polished draft. But instead of judging myself for that and comparing my pace to that of other people, I try to schedule extra time to finish my drafts. Accepting your writing pace and style is the first step in establishing a productive writing cycle. 

The Most Important Writing Skill

Is How To Finish

Learning to finish teaches endurance. Writing an entire novel is not a quick process. If you want to write a novel then you must pledge yourself for months and months of work. You’ll be spending hours and hours in the chair, brainstorming plot fixes, piece together fragments of ideas, and pouring out those words onto the page. Keep pressing on, write even when the going is tough and the book isn’t quite as exciting as it was when you started. It teaches you to hold onto your vision rather than giving up.

“Linda has published fifteen books. She blogs about the publishing world, posts useful tips on the challenges a writer faces, including marketing and promoting your work, how to build your online platform, how to get reviews and how to self-publish.”