On editing
Once I have an idea, and the bit between my teeth, getting words on the page is often easy. They aren’t necessarily the right words or even in the right order, but they are there. Writing too many words is a far better place to be than not writing enough, as cutting your work down creates a better draft. Having to add fluff just to up a word count is rarely going to end well.
On writing to market and finding your audience
I read a lot about the phrase ‘writing to market’ in the author community. The idea is to identify a reader group, for example people who want sweet and clean Billionaire romances, or YA (young adult) urban fantasies, and then write books targeting those markets. It makes business sense - find the market and then supply them with the product they demand.
On how to be a writer
If you want to write then just do it. You don’t need an English literature degree or a diploma in creative writing. There are many professional writers who have never taken a writing course in their life. Many flunked school or never had any support. Anna Todd started writing on her phone in the checkout queue at a supermarket. She was a 24 year old new mum, and worked to bring money by babysitting and working at a beauty counter. She’s now a millionaire.
On first drafts
It always makes me chuckle when a writer posts a photo of their computer screen showing the words ‘The End’ at the end of their manuscript, proclaiming that they have just finished writing their book. Yet this for most writers is only the beginning. The first draft is not the final one.
