35 Things you need to know about writing...

#1: Realize that as you sit down at your desk to pen the 'Great American Novel' you may want to write 'the book of your heart', but you must also write a novel that's marketable to today's readers. These two things are not necessarily mutually exclusive-you can do both. You just need to be aware of both facets as you write. Then once you're done, you must somehow shift how you view your novel (easily said, not as easily done), because your novel, once published, becomes a product. And that product will be scrutinized, criticized, idolized and pulverized, all before the book even hits the shelves (you've heard of book reviews)! You must learn to write your best with where you are now. You cannot write today's story with the skills you will have acquired ten years from now. Write the story with the skill level you have today. That's the only way to get better. So, write from your heart while knowing your market, and once you've written the book, release it and let it go, trusting it to the One who called you to write it in the first place.
tamara alexander

#2: It's okay to write post-it-notes to your imaginary characters,But if they start to write notes back to you, you're in trouble.
sharon hinck

#3: Before starting your novel--
"There are going to be hard spots. Don't let that fool you into thinking it's not good. Some of my best passages came from sitting at a computer for days, staring at a white screen, trying to come up with something interesting."
rene gutteridge

#4: Purge from your vocabulary the redundant "fiction novel." A book that is fiction is a novel. A novel is fiction. It seems that might be point one that a writer should know before they begin writing.
robin lee hatcher

#5: Do NOT quit your day job
cheryl hodde

#6: STUDY. Read novels, read books about writing novels, take novel writing courses, attend conferences, connect to other writers.
cheryl hodde

I'll post a few more next Friday! And if you have something we Need to know shoot me an email!