As an indie author, I want to make writing my day-to-day business. That’s going to be a challenge, but it’s still my goal, regardless. I knew once I self-published A Deadly Rejection that there was no going back. The book and my name were out there and a new chapter had begun. But one book wasn’t going to be enough; more had to follow.

Publishing A Deadly Rejection wasn’t where this all started. I wrote the book way back in the mists of time, somewhere around 2007 I think, and it was 10 years until it saw the light of day. It went through a lot of iterations and edits before I deemed it ready to be seen. In that time, I’d moved on and written what became A Deadly Truth, so I knew I could do this book writing malarkey more than once. Ideas for more Allensbury Mysteries were developing in my head, and I wasn’t giving up.

But while I was writing the first books, I had no idea where things were going. I knew I wanted to write a book and after boring a colleague to tears about it, he said: ‘Why don’t you just write it?’ So I did. I’ve written elsewhere about where A Deadly Rejection came from as an idea, but once I’d decided I was going to write it, I needed a way to get from zero words to 90,000.

So, how can you keep on keeping on when you’re new to all this?

Aside from planning and suchlike, here are a few of my top tips:

  1. Get your bottom in that chair – when you start out it’s going to feel really hard, but you have to start by sitting down to write. Put all thoughts of anything else you might have on the back burner. Once you’re in that chair, you’re not moving and all you’re allowed to do is write. Switch off the Wi-Fi and put your phone in the other room. It’s time to get serious. Persistence is the key and if you want to write a book, that has to be your watchword.
  2. Set yourself goals – once you’re in the chair, you need to know what you’re going to do that day. Whether it’s a word count, number of scenes/chapters or a period of time, decide what your aim is for that session. Oh, and you have to achieve it. Then you can pat yourself on the back.
  3. Celebrate every win – so, you’ve finished your session, does that feel like a win? Yes? No? Well, it should. Congratulations, you hit your first target. Make sure you have a way to reward yourself for doing the work. Every session you complete is vital in getting you to that full first draft.
  4. Using rituals and routines – I’m not a big fan of this, if I’m honest, because you need to be able to write at every opportunity, but I think when you’re first starting out a trigger, like a particular place or starting time, will help. I have one trigger, which is that when I’m writing new words, I listen to Jon Lord’s Durham Concerto. It’s literally the only time I’m allowed to listen to that music and it dates back to when I used to write on the train travelling to work. When I hear the opening bars, it’s time for the words to flow. James Clear’s book Atomic Habits will also give you some guidance on making writing part of your daily routine.

What’s next?

Well, quite simply, keep going. Writing a novel is a marathon, not a sprint, so it’s important to take it at a steady pace so you don’t burn out. Be realistic about what you can achieve in a session and remember the rewards for your hard work.

But above all, writing is a lot of fun, getting your story out onto the page. So enjoy it – and I’ll look forward to seeing that completed manuscript!