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1. What am I really trying to do?
2. How am I going to do it?
3. How do I find a publisher?
4. How do I sell it?
5. How do I structure a piece of writing?
6. How do I write it?

What am I really trying to do?

Writing can be several things: an itch that needs to be scratched; a burning passion stamping over everything else, and annoying your partner; inspiration from someone inadvisedly saying ‘you really need to put it down in writing before you forget’; the editor demanding ‘I need five thousand words by Friday’; or the misguided belief that ‘I can make a fortune writing the next Harry Potter clone’.

And it could be because of something else: perhaps a love of words; maybe an infatuation with a genre; or just being a fan who wants to do just a little bit more than read.

Or it could be something entirely different.

Only you will know what drives you.

If you really do have the urge, and find crumpled little notes appearing around the house with ‘brilliant ideas’ hastily scribbled down in your illegible handwriting, and fail to notice people’s eyes glazing over as you try to explain the latest plot line, then you need to take a step back and reconsider your methods. Read on.

If you merely discuss it in the pub as something you’ve always wanted to do, but never quite found time for, then you are probably not a writer, and certainly will not get into print under your own steam, but don’t give up hope, see more later.

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