Last month, Discoveries alumni Rukky Brume, India-Rose Bower, Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin and Beena Nadeem spoke to Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlisted author and former Discoveries judge Nussaibah Younis about their experiences entering the Discoveries programme, finishing their debut novels and the road to publication. They explored everything from how to get started, finishing a manuscript, tips for developing your craft and taking the first steps towards publication – read on for a summary of their top tips!
1. Make time to write, even if you can only manage a little
You don’t need hours of uninterrupted time or a fixed writing routine to make progress. Find opportunities to write around work, family commitments and everyday life admin. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, aim for just 100 words a day and gradually scale-up your routine.
2. Find a structure that keeps you accountable
When you’re writing a book, it can be difficult to keep the momentum going. Join writing courses, set deadlines and share work with friends to keep moving forward with a project. You don’t need to pay for a course to achieve this. A writing group like London Writers’ Salon or a regular check-in with a fellow writer can provide the necessary accountability.
3. Finish the first draft before trying to perfect it
Getting a first draft down was described as one of the hardest parts of writing a novel. It’s tempting to keep revisiting the opening chapters, tweak and polish sentences, but this can prevent you from ever reaching the end. Resist the urge to edit too soon and keep going. Once you have a complete draft, you can see the whole story, understand your characters better and make more informed decisions about what needs to change.
4. Find your writing community
Writing can be a solitary endeavour, particularly when you’re working on a manuscript without knowing whether it will ever be published and find readers. The panel repeatedly highlighted the value of connecting with other writers, sharing work and supporting one another through the ups and downs.
5. Learn to accept feedback — even when it stings
Sharing your work can feel daunting and receiving criticism can be difficult. Give yourself time to digest the feedback and resist the urge to respond emotionally to the criticism. The right reader will help you see from a different perspective and identify strengths and weaknesses you might not see yourself.
6. Be prepared to rewrite — and let go of your favourite bits
Writing is rarely a straightforward journey from first draft to finished book. Editing involves rethinking characters, reshaping the story and sometimes letting go of passages you love because they aren’t serving the narrative as a whole.
7. Write the story you’re genuinely obsessed with
Resist the temptation to follow publishing trends or imitate whichever book has been successful that year and write the thing you’re obsessed with! The books that stay with readers often reflect an author’s distinctive interests, perspective and imagination.
8. Take opportunities, even when you don’t feel ready
Self-doubt can make it tempting to keep your manuscript hidden until you feel completely confident. However, putting yourself forward for opportunities, whether that’s a writing competition, a development programme, a workshop or a conversation with someone in publishing can be a huge confidence booster and open new doors.
