#budding writer

If I was a candle,

You would be the light

And I think that without you,

Nothing would feel right.

When I was at my lowest,

You came and picked me up.

Showed me new ways to live,

And new ways to fall in love

Don't tell me that it's ending

You know that it's not right,

For the feeling of oneness

We'd be looking our whole life.

Lacking motivation to finish that novel? Same. But here are a few things I've learned so far...

1. Dream regularly

Accept that all fantastical elements of your piece— whether mythological, fabled or downright absurd— have already been thought of. A school for witches and wizards? Done. A powerful piece of jewellery? Seen it! What about a magical word existing in our own one? Oh, please.

To avoid this, dream nightly and rely on a good sleep cycle to generate those ideas on how to make your piece different from the rest. Have a dream that you turned into a flying toad with human limbs? Yay, (disturbing) originality!

2. No boring names allowed

If a Google search of your characters’ names gives you links to profiles on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or elsewhere, it’s too dreary for fantasy. Stuck? Try swapping the vowels and consonants around (see Game of Thrones).    

3. Night owls only

Most writing will be done under the cover of darkness, just as you’re about to go to sleep and the one and only good idea you’ve had all week suddenly pops into your head. Write it down! You definitely won’t remember it in the morning.

4. Dragons are fool-proof

If all else fails, add a dragon to the story. Rowling, Tolkien, Martin…you can’t go wrong with one of these flying fire-breathers.

5. Write, write, write (or type, type, type?)