There is so much information, so many tips on how to write, how to submit a really great novel but, when you get down to it, most of the information is common sense. But would-be authors go trolling the internet, looking for a definitive set of answers on how to produce a top-selling novel. The rules are simple and here they are:

Rule 1: Make Time

You might have it in mind to write once you’ve done all the other things there are to do but it won't happen until you make the time. Even if you just manage a page or two a day before you go to work, you must make the time – if you don’t do it now, you never will.

Rule 2: Inspiration Never Comes

So don’t waste your time waiting for it.  People will always tell you that inspiration comes at the least expected moment but I’ll tell you now, so you don’t waste any more time, writing is more perspiration than it is inspiration.

Rule 3: Be Truthful

We all think we do but a good deal of writing is nothing more than implication, misleading information and sleight of hand. Real writing, producing that best selling novel, is not about tricking people into believing what you say; it’s about telling a story that you believe in; if you believe it, your readers will too. To know what you believe in, you need time to think and that leads to the next rule.

Rule 4: Disconnect

Writing isn’t about moving forward, it's about staying still. It's about blocking out the noise, the voices around you, so you can hear your own voice. It’s about switching off, tuning out and shutting down, at least for a while, and it's about doing this on a regular basis. You need as near to silence as you can get to put yourself into your story and think only about that and nothing else.

Rule 5: Find Some Friends

We all need support, we all need friends around us. Writers, more than most, need that life-jacket. It’s a lonely world, one you often can't share with your loved ones because they wouldn’t understand. Instead, you must share it with other like-minded people so join a writing class, or join some forums where you can discuss problems or hook up with the right people to proofread your work for you – often a stranger’s eye and mind are far better; they don’t have a personal connection to you and are far more likely to be truthful. You can each provide each other with support and assistance through the darkest of days and on the long and lonely road a writer walks.

Writing the perfect novel is not easy but it also isn’t as hard as some people would have you believe. So long as you can follow the rules in this post and in the next installment, you will be surprised at how easy it becomes. Don’t mistake me; it isn’t a doddle but it doesn’t have to be a chore either.