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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?

How do I write it?

With care.

Give due regard to the English Language in all the narrative. However, speech from the characters can be colloquial, and this is a useful device to add flavour and colour, even confusion or annoyance to help the plot.

Three books are essential, and I recommend these;

• Chambers Dictionary.
• Elements of Style by Strunk & White .
• Fowler’s Modern English Usage.

Once having whizzed through the first draft, easily because of the well defined characters and structure, you are about a quarter done. Set the book aside for a couple of weeks, go on holiday, do something completely different, and only then carefully review it. You will be amazed at how many mistakes need to be corrected, and how many improvements need be made.

Then start at the beginning again, and review it all over again. You might find yourself reviewing it half a dozen times before you can make a pass without any changes.

Now call in your editor, and brace yourself, because they might well find hundreds of points that need adjustment. Listen carefully, and make your own judgements. A good editor will not try and rewrite your book in their own style, but they will trap a wandering plot, vague characters, woolliness, bad grammar, tautology and self indulgence. Treasure and nurture such a valuable friend.

Failing paying a professional editor, ask your partner and children, since they are potentially your harshest critics. And quite often they are right.