1. Read.
I bet you thought I’d start out by saying write. Ha! Fooled you. Nope. My number one rule for writers is to read. Read everything you can get your hands on. In the genre you write and outside of it. Magazines, newspapers, blogs (not FB posts–they don’t count!). Words are power, especially ones you wouldn’t normally gravitate toward. It takes you outside your writing bubble and helps you create more authentic and realistic characters. Non-fiction, fiction, it doesn’t matter. I write romance exclusively but I was weaned on Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and John Sandford. Consider what would have happened if Lin Manuel-Miranda hadn’t picked up that biography of Alexander Hamilton. Outside the norm and bang! A gift for the world. So don’t be afraid to expand your reading horizons. You never know what gift it’ll give the writer inside of you.
2. Take Craft Books and Writing Workshops With a Grain of Salt
Yeah, I know, cliché alert (my editor just cringed. *waving to Kathryn*). Only you can write the story you’re meant to write in the way you’re meant to write it. Don’t plot? Cool (I don’t either). Then don’t, after attending a plotting workshop, think that you must change the way you write your book. What works for authors work for those authors; very few techniques will transfer over to you. Trust me, I suffered from this for a very long time. I’ve taken more workshops than I can count and I still have my own way of doing things. If you want to take their ideas out for a test run, awesome. But only keep what works for you, then discard the rest. The same goes for craft books. Stock your shelves with reference books instead. Books about words, about character, about conflict. That said, if another author’s writing procedure works for you, great! But if it doesn’t, that’s just fine. Because you’re not them, you’re you.
3. It’s okay NOT to write (See disclaimer below).
Guess what? You don’t have to write every day. This is one of those things that ties in to #2. I can’t function on seven days a week of writing, not when I’m usually at the computer anywhere from 4-8 hours at a time. I will burn out faster than I already do. Never beat yourself up because you can’t eek out time in your busy day to write. Yes, finishing your book is important, but life happens; it’s unpredictable and we beat ourselves up enough over other things. Don’t add writing to the list. If you don’t feel like writing one day or can’t get it, that’s totally fine.
Please note: this is NOT permission to not write at all. Nobody say “Anna says I don’t have to write”. What I am saying is that it’s okay when you don’t. Just get back to it as soon as you can.
4. Be Kind.
This might sound silly, but kindness really does go a long way in this world. Being kind takes so much less effort than being snarky or cruel. Okay, scratch that because there are days I live to be snarky. Being kind can be done in so many ways: sharing another author’s FB post to showcase his or her book or being there to listen to an author friend who might be having a rough time; not letting professional jealousy get in the way of your career. Oh, my, this is important.
Another writer’s success honestly has nothing to do with your own. It doesn’t rob you of anything or mean you won’t succeed and besides, everyone has their own definition of success. We each walk our own path and wasting energy on envying someone else’s road is just that: a waste. Write the best book you can. End of story.
5. Surround Yourself With the Right People
We’ve all had people in our lives who haven’t been completely supportive in what we do. I’ve been pretty fortunate. No one has ever laughed in my face when I told them I was going to be a romance author (something I started doing when I was fourteen). If someone doesn’t think your dream is worth going after then maybe they’re not meant to be a part of that dream. Join writers’ groups, make friends with people who “get it”, lock in those people who lift you up rather than tear you down. Those people, I call them psychic vampires, will suck the life out of you, life you need to make your dreams come true. So accept them for what they are and embrace those who will help you achieve your dreams. Believe in yourself and everyone else will, too. At least the people who matter.
6. BONUS! Wear that Romance Author Badge Proudly
Romance is, as author Damon Suede has said countless times, the genre of hope. We write about love and goodness and conquering inner (and sometimes outer) demons. Good triumphs over evil in our worlds and people are inherently good. I can’t imagine growing up without having discovered romance novels. It changed my life–it gave me a life because I discovered that this was what I wanted to do: write about hope and love and all the beauty life has to offer. So you pin that romance writer badge on, front and center. Because romance writers rock!
Now…get back to your keyboard. And write another happily ever after.
USA Today and national bestselling author Anna J. Stewart writes sweet to sexy romance for Harlequin’s Heartwarming and Romantic Suspense lines. Early obsessions with Star Wars, Star Trek, and Wonder Woman set her on the path to creating fun, funny, and family-centric romances with happily ever afters for her independent heroines. Anna lives in Northern California where she deals with a serious Supernatural & Sherlock addiction, surrounds herself with friends and family and tolerates an overly affectionate cat named Snickers (or perhaps it’s Snickers who tolerates her). When she’s not writing, you can find her at fan conventions or at her local movie theater. You can read more about Anna and her books at www.authorannastewart.com.
12 replies on “5 Important Writing Tips from Author Anna J. Stewart”
Why is it no one slags songwriters for writing love songs? Merely a shorter love story.
OMG, Yvonne, Right? I honestly didn’t even think of that. Yay, verbal ammo for defense of romance. Awesome. 🙂
; )
Great advice, Anna! You are the voice of wisdom and I totally agree with you. So many craft books say that in order to be a prolific writer, you have to plot. I’ve tried plotting and go nowhere with it. So glad you don’t either and write great books. With your permission I’m going to copy these (giving you credit, of course) and posting them near my work desk. Thanks for your encouragement!
Hi, Maurine! Great to see you again. Of course you can copy these out. 🙂 Always happy to share. Just don’t consider them “rules”, LOL. Have a great rest of your Monday.
Anna, so nice to hear you say this because I was doing that very thing. Trying to be a plotter. It ruins my muse to be honest. I am better writing the story while its flowing and then going back and layering as I edit a gazillion times. 🙂
Oh, so enjoying More Than a Lawman. I did note that she is a blonde in the story and the cover art she’s brunette. Just noticed because I am a strawberry blonde. 🙂
Hi Chrissie! Yep, right there with you on plotting, especially on RS. I’m afraid if I know who the killer is ahead of time, I’ll inadvertently give it away (an author friend warned me about that). And in GONE IN THE NIGHT, I thought I knew who the killer was as I wrote the first 2 in the mini-series. Then realized (happily) I was wrong. You don’t get those surprises when you plot. As far as the cover…um, yeah. 🙂 Gotta let H make the call on that. I give them what I have and they go with what works. I love it because they took my suggestion to include the Tower Bridge from here in Sac. Thanks for posting!
Hi Anna,
Thanks for the wonderful tips. I particularly like the reminders to be kind, that romance is a genre of hope and happiness, and it’s okay not to write evey day. Writing is a very personal endeavour (at least for me), and I like your advice to find what works for us individually. Any excuse to read is welcome, not only because it’s inspiring (and I get a happy ending), but I think reading helps me find my own voice as a writer. Thanks again for the wonderful tips, and I wish you all the best with kindness, hope and many happy endings.
Hi, Kate! So glad these spoke to you. 🙂 Thank you for stopping by and posting. Happy writing!
I think that http://bestessay-writing.services/ has a lot of articles dedicated to this issue! Your writing tips are in sooth essential. By following them, it is so easy to advance our writing abilities!
I totally agree.. I’ve become really depressed reading all these hints and tips on writing, and getting dressed out about doing it properly.. and you are so right, the voice we hear telling us to write that down is uniquely our own, not some experts idea of plotting, planning, rigidly adhering to someone else idea of how to write.. yeah what was it 14 refusals before Harry Poter was accepted. and many more authors had rejection slips in the double digits but kept plugging away, they knew they had a message to get out there. Keep on Keeping on sweetie
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I spent the entire shutdown working. Had no time to wind down. I didn’t see my son much when school shutdown. My one co worker was told to stay home for 3 weeks so I picked up her hours. This year has been really crappy.
Ugh, Janell. Here’s hoping the rest of your summer is better.
Thanks for the info, Carol! Everyone is different in how they deal with the shutdown! I stay at home all the time since I don’t work so I haven’t been too effected but my shopping and errands sure have been effected!
Valri, I’ve been doing most of my shopping online. My local Target is still low on some items – mostly cleaning supplies. Grocery store is pretty much back to normal. Most of the dining in our town is outdoor. I can’t imagine have school-age kids!
Wow–getting your creative process on track must have been daunting–especially with “extra-large dog” glad to have you home. You don’t like coffee–I love coffee and have enjoyed my fortifying 2 cups in the morning even more than usual! How as COVID affected your story lines and characterizations? Best Wishes for all releases!
Interesting question, Virginia. You’ll have to tell me if the tone of my “COVID” books changed any! LOL
Life has changed so much! My dad passed Feb 2. The assisted living facility my folks were at went into hardcore lockdown the beginning of March. Mom couldn’t leave her apartment for 4 months! She was on the third floor, Will be 89 in two months & doesn’t use the phone. My husband and I remodeled the lower level completely and moved her in with us July 1. What a life change and difficult transition for the 3 of us! But we’re working thru it!