The pen is not mightier than the words

I just filled the first notebook of scribblings for my second novel so have started another - the notebooks in question cost £3.99 each from Ryman. I mention this because when I started writing I was convinced I needed a posh notebook - you know the sort, the type of notebook that lets people 15 feet away know you're writing something IMPORTANT when you're sitting in a coffee shop. Moleskine is the bare minimum acceptable.

I also spent hours in WH Smith looking at pens. Now, don't get me wrong, it's important to have a good pen, especially if (like me) you write your first draft longhand. I did realise, fairly quickly thank goodness, that the time I was spending lurking in shops, fingering the spines of expensively decorated notebooks, would be better spent writing or reading.

The pen I use costs £1.99, the notebook twice as much and I do have a favourite pencil. If you like fancy notebooks then buy one - if you want an expensive fountain pen, go ahead. Don't spend too long on these things though as they soon become displacement activities. Get some paper, get a pen, get writing.

The pen is not mightier than the words.

What to do when you've finished your first novel

Write another (that's the bullet point for those of you who like to skip to the end of reviews and read the star rating rather than the review - everyone else read on).

I'm assuming that, having taken the time to research, plan and write a book you've also done your homework in terms of approaching agents and publishers, and that your manuscript (or at least enquiry letter) is out there in roughly the right hands. If not you shouldn't be reading this (yet) you should be reading From Pitch to Publication:Everything You Need to Know to Get Your Novel Published

There are several reasons why I think the logical next step after finishing your first book is to start another immediately. First up is your sanity; if you just sit round waiting for responses you're going to be waiting a while (with no guarantees of any takers) and your blood pressure will be going up all the time you wait. Your manuscript is like your child - you prepare it as best you can for the world and send it out to find its path. If it needs you it'll get in touch.

Secondly no agent or publisher will want to take you on if you don't look like a long-term prospect. Most first novels aren't massive hits so a career that can build over time stands the best chance of earning you (and therefore your publisher and agent) some money.

Next up is practice - if you want to be a decent writer then keep writing. The phrase 'writing is a muscle' is massively over-used but only because it's bang on the money. If you don't write you won't improve. If you're lucky enough to get published and your editor wants a few re-writes then keeping your hand in in the meantime is essential. Also, you don't write a book and magically become a writer, you're only a writer if you write.

Don't have an idea for a second novel? Just keep reading, writing and playing around with ideas. Keep asking those 'what if...' questions and an idea will come to you.

The fact that I've written one book is largely thanks to three people very close to me: one told me I could write, one told me I should and one told me just to keep going. The second book will be entirely down to the fact that I have loved the process and can't wait to do it all again.


Good luck and keep going.

Thoughts on NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo (or National Novel Writing Month) is an initiative that encourages would-be writers to complete a short novel of 50,000 words in the space of a month.

Some people think this is a good idea, some are sceptical and several are downright dismissive. Here's what I think.

For staters I doubt anyone is expecting a work of genius to be written in the space of 30 days - that's not really the point though is it? What NaNoWriMo will do (for those who stick it out) is create a daily writing habit and give them the kernel of something to begin honing. Why is this important?

Well...everyone (and I mean everyone) tells us that to be a good writer you need to read. Doesn't it therefore follow that to be a good reader you need to at least try writing? I'm a musician and know plenty of people who play music purely for fun whilst, at the same time, increasing their understanding (and therefore enjoyment of) music as a listener. We don't expect everyone who owns an acoustic guitar to release a major label album and land a publishing deal so why is it such a bad thing if people have a go at writing for pleasure and (hopefully) in the process become more involved as readers.

It seems to me that writing should be exactly the same as sport, music, whatever - it's fine to do it for pleasure and not just for profit. 'Unpublished novelist' carries a far greater stigma than amateur musician and that seems ludicrous. The cliche is 'everyone has a book in them'. I believe that's probably true in the same way that I believe everyone is capable of making music. Does that mean I think everyone has the skills to get that novel out? No. Would I want to read them all if they did? No. Some people have a crap book in them - doesn't mean they shouldn't write it.

I'm a firm believer that the arts are for all of us and that we should be encouraged to have a go at whichever takes our fancy. Will most of us get to Carnegie Hall/The Booker Prize dinner/Wembley Stadium. No. Does that matter?

Great art changes the life of the audience - bad art can change the life of the artist. That's enough.

6 writing questions

After reading a post on The Awl where writers answer six basic questions about their writing habits, I thought it might be a useful exercise for me to answer the questions myself.

If you're a writer why not do the same and tweet a link to your answers to @matthwrites

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1) How long have you been working on your novel and roughly how much longer do you expect to go?

I've just finished my first novel - it took roughly 18 months in all and I've now started number two.

2) How do you “pay the bills”?

I work for flatshare site SpareRoom.co.uk - being asked to write a book for work was the main thing that got me into writing in the first place. The book I wrote for work is The Essential Guide to Flatsharing

3) How do you balance work/friends/family with your writing?

I've discovered that the easiest way of doing this is just to make my day longer! When I'm in the writing or editing stage of the process I get up at 6.15 and write before I go to work. I can usually manage at least 1,000 words if I'm writing. The reading and researching phase is a bit easier as I can do that pretty much anywhere and for short bursts if needs be. I can read on trains or listen to relevant podcasts on the move. As half the research stage seems to involve generally mulling things over that part tends to go on all day anyway in the background.

4) Do you have a routine and if so do you reward yourself for sticking to it (and does it involve cupcakes)?

The morning routine is the only one I've got and I tend to punish for failure rather than reward for success!

5) Do you write longhand, on the typewriter, or on a computer (and is said computer online)?

The first draft of the book was written longhand as I find it hard not to edit as I go when I write on a computer. I think it's important for writing and editing to be different stages of the process. That said, by the time you get a few drafts in you end up doing a bit of both for most of the time it seems. When I write I tend to keep email and browser apps closed to avoid temptation (although I will use the internet to check the odd fact as I go).

6) Is there anything else about writing a novel that you've found to be particularly difficult/enlightening from a time-management perspective?

I think it's been good for me to just keep chipping away at something continuously like this. I tend to have a bit of a binary approach to stuff and be harsh on myself (I either can or can't do things and there's no middle ground). Writing a novel has helped me see the long game and realise that it's not even about what I'm writing now so much as simply getting better every day for as long as I want to write.