As a book coach and developmental editor, the biggest mistake I see in manuscripts is a weak character arc. A weak character arc means that readers won't stay invested in your story. As fiction writers, our primary goal is to get readers to the end of our story. That means you need to do whatever you can to get character development right! Your success as a writer depends on it.

If you’ve ever looked into how to be a successful author or how to get published, you’ve most likely come across the common writing advice that says ‘persistence pays off’. But I want to offer a slightly different perspective. Persistence is important, but it isn’t the key to building a successful writing career, especially now that the book and publishing markets are completely oversaturated.

I don’t think there’s a single writer out there who hasn’t felt that they don’t have time to write. More things are demanding our time and attention now than ever. Not only that, writing doesn’t usually pay a living wage, meaning the majority of us are doing it as a side hustle. We’re trying to balance full-time work, families and young children along with the pressures of churning out as many books as possible and marketing them. Honestly, it’s a miracle that anyone succeeds at getting a novel out!

Do you have an unrealistic view of your writing ability? It’s completely normal for writers, but it’s important to be aware of because it can cause a lot of pain and blockage along your writing journey. Nurturing a healthy mindset is crucial for a successful writing life. Our beliefs dictate what we do and how we act, so we need to get them aligned with reality.

An author’s job is to please and delight readers. This is the joyful, beautiful, wonderful gift of being a writer. Writing success is directly linked to how well we can engage readers. If you are not considering what a reader experiences when they read your story, then it will be incredibly challenging to figure out how to become a successful author.

Writing a novel is a monumental task! Gone are the days of leisurely writing and being paid a living wage for it. Most writers don’t get paid enough to write full-time. Most writers are balancing full-time jobs, children, school or other family responsibilities. Writing is our side-hustle. That’s why it’s incredibly important to learn how to write smarter, not harder.

This is the time of year when writers start talking about NaNoWriMo. NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month which takes place every November. During this annual challenge, writers from all over commit themselves to writing a 50 000 word novel in a single month. The organization offers other smaller challenges throughout the year as well. You may have seen writers talking about it on social media or preparing themselves to participate. If you spend a lot of time in writing communities, you may be feeling pressure to participate yourself. Before you make a decision about whether NaNoWriMo is right for you, here are some important things to consider.

When I finished writing my first novel, I typed out ‘The End’, patted myself on the back and gleefully sent it out to readers for feedback. It had taken me many years to work up the dedication and willpower to sit down and finish a novel. I was so proud of myself. I thought the hard work was over and I just knew my readers were going to love it. I waited patiently for their feedback, anticipating all the praise that was about to come my way. But instead, what I got back was loads of red lines, including comments about how boring my story was and how unlikeable my main character was.

Asking questions like, should I keep writing my novel? or should I shelve my manuscript? is something almost every writer faces during their writing journey. But whether you should quit or continue, depends on a few different factors. Blanket advice, like don’t give up, doesn’t always apply. Sometimes we actually need to quit writing a book or at least take an extended break from it. Here are some questions to ask yourself if you feel like giving up on your manuscript:

If writing feels like pulling teeth right now, don’t worry, you’re not alone. We all go through slumps, burnout and periods of discouragement with writing. The good news is there is always a way out. You may not feel excited and inspired every time you write, but a few mindset changes can help you overcome procrastination and long bouts of writer’s block.

Improve your writing process with these tips

Everyone has their own writing process and novel writing strategies that work best for them. I’m not here to tell anyone how to write a novel. Okay, maybe I am, but it’s entirely up to you if you want to take my advice and finish writing a novel faster.

The other day I cringed when I saw a writer post something on IG about how publishing their book would be a great way to get back at all the people who had ever doubted them. I admit, I’ve felt like this in the past. There were times in my early writing life when I thought about the people who doubted me and imagined how they might react when they found out I was a published author! Now though, I find these types of sentiments (and posts) cringy. It’s like seeing someone shout their insecurities from the rooftop.