Writing tips

A friend who helps me with the garden asked yesterday if I could give her some tips for writing a children’s story. ‘A chapter book,’ she said. I have never written a chapter book for children, but I made suggestions which have been made to me over the years and which seem to work whether you are writing for children or adults.

Write your last few pages first. Then you know the direction you are heading in even if you deviate along the way.

Write something every day – even just one page or 100 words. Then you keep your characters and story in mind as you go about your daily activities.

Read from writers you admire – every day.

My latest novel – Harbouring – didn’t stick to any of these suggestions. I rewrote the ending several times. I had to stop writing it for over a year while my husband was ill. And sometimes I was too tired or overwhelmed to read.

But I still think these suggestions are good ones. Just don’t give up if you can’t adhere to them!