I suppose my writing style has become more mature. I have written bits and pieces since I was very young. I tend now to write maybe in a more glib kind of way or else in a way that is more like speaking to someone and telling them the story. I am much better able to take on criticisms and I plan so much more now than I did. It really helped to make my writing flow better and to give me more focus in order to finish a writing project.
Don't beat yourself up if you don't get a chance to write. By being hard on yourself all the time, you can lose the will to continue. Instead, I would say if you are not writing, read. If you're not reading for pleasure, read for research. It is also important to take the time to observe the world, so go out with your friends when you can. Socialise and then you will have lots of little experiences to write about which are just as valuable as the big ones.
For book fiends like myself, it means more library space! It is also so much cheaper and less harmful to the environment, I suppose. However, there is still nothing like the feel of a good paperback. The main thing is, with ebooks being less expensive, people that would otherwise not read at all are reading, and they can take their book with them wherever they want. I would rather be reading my Kindle all day than staring at my phone. Even better still, you can increase the font size so you can see the words better if you have poor eyesight.
I think these are very important in terms of getting people to click on the ebook or pick it up in the shops. The cover should be appealing to the eye and at least represent the kind of book you are writing. The title is always difficult. Sometimes you have one in your head and you think it's great but it's a good idea to test the water first. My book was going to be called 'Wombs' and a writing mentor just didn't seem too enthused by that, so I went back to the drawing board and looked at market trends to come up with the title I now have.
I have been writing different things since I was knee-high, but I only really got back into writing properly in the last few years. I had the idea for this book for about a decade before and when in 2018 I was out of work, the writing was a good way to keep busy. I did a lot of research beforehand and structured my chapters as I went along. Not too much, in order to leave room for changes as I thought of them. I went from pen and paper to laptop and eventually to using my tablet and a Bluetooth keyboard so I could write on the go. I also started entering short story competitions which staved off any writer's block on the main project and signed up for writing courses. The courses let me make contact with many other writers both professional and amateur and be part of a community. That really helps to encourage you to keep going.
