Aspiring authors have a lot of things to consider before they can even start writing. Although there are no sets of rules that new writers can follow, there are tips from seasoned authors who have decades of successful writing experience and their advice is always worth it.

Making your own mark in the very competitive writing industry is not easy. However, getting these little nuggets of wisdom from the people who have worked hard in this field, and made a name for themselves, not only can help new authors, but can help them become better at what they do.

Here are more tips, directly from some bestselling authors that will help aspiring authors nail the writing game!

Keep a Notebook with You

This little piece of advice comes from Will Self, the author of Great Apes and a nominee for the Man Booker Prize. Sometimes, the ideas hit you out of nowhere and, since most people have a short term memory span of three minutes, it is essential for you to write down your bright ideas before they fade away. Commit the idea to the paper or else you might forget it.

Trust Your BETA Readers

Rose Tremain, the winner of the Orange Prize for Fiction for her novel, The Road Home, advises new and aspiring authors to trust their BETA readers. Your first readers will give you constructive criticism and you should take it in your stride and take it in the best possible way. Their preferences and criticism will help you mold your story in a better and more engaging way for your target audience.

Don’t Be Frightened

Don’t be frightened and never be intimidated by anything about your story. This golden piece of advice comes from the Welsh author, Sarah Waters, who wrote best-selling novels such as Fingersmith, Tipping the Velvet and The Night Watch. She believes that a writer has to be gutsy and brave; the writer should never think about the criticism as something ugly, and should take it as advice that will help them to flourish as a fiction writer. Find ways to relax when you feel like you are panicking. Take a walk, step away from your story and come back to it with a fresh mind.

Write With Confidence and Honesty

The author of American Gods, Neil Gaiman, advises aspiring authors to be confident and honest with their writing. Remember that they are creating a world and a dimension where they rule everything. Have faith in your abilities and have faith in yourself to do your story justice. As long as you are honest with yourself, your characters and with your story, you can do anything you want with it and excel at it as well.

Writing is not easy, especially when you are new at trying something as major as writing your very own first novel. However, if you keep these tips from these amazing authors in mind and remain true to yourself, there is nothing you cannot do.