Who doesn't wish they knew what they know now as a teenager? At 15, while in high school, my favorite subject was English, especially short story writing. I will never forget the day my teacher approached me in front of the whole class, holding my latest assignment. In large red pen, he had drawn a line through it, and to add insult to injury, he held the assignment up in the air so everyone in the class could see the biggest letter D I had ever seen. If you think he was done with embarrassing me, you'd be mistaken. He added that his pet dog had more writing talent than I did. For ten years those words stayed with me and I never considered writing anything ever again. Until, by chance, I came across an article by a novelist I admired, and it sparked that dormant passion for writing once more. I have compiled the following list of golden nuggets of information that I have learned over the years. Information I wish I knew as that humiliated 15-year old. 

1. The story is what truly matters
Although beautifully written narrative, exciting plot, and conflict are really important, the one thing that grabs a reader's attention is a powerful story that they can relate to. A story that means something to them on an emotional level. So, before you put pen to paper, decide what change the protagonist will make. The leading character has to have a desire to change, or an agenda that, up until now, they have not been able to achieve. The lack of change is usually because of a long-standing belief about themselves. This means putting more time into creating the backstories of your characters than writing the novel itself. The backstory is the foundation of how your characters behave and view the world around them in the past to the present day.

2. Establish a reading habit
Ideally, you want to make a habit of reading novels that match the style of writing you aspire to achieve. Make reading part of your daily routine, one that will not be placed on the sidelines for mundane activities such as watching television or playing computer games. Reading other genres is very important too. Even if your preferred genre is fantasy, you can learn a lot about relationship dynamics between your characters by reading a good romance novel. You can also take a lot of inspiration from a thriller about building great tension and conflict. Reading is one of the fastest ways to raise your 'writing IQ' and will also help greatly when you are networking with fellow writers. There is nothing more impressive than a person who is knowledgable on the classics or latest novels. 

3. Never stop learning
Even if your friends and family or followers on social media have told you what a talented writer you are, never stop improving on what you already know. The sure-fire way to fail as a writer is to spend your time proving you know what you are doing, rather than learning from people and resources around you.  

4. Build an email list
I didn't begin my email list until I had been reaching out to agents and publishers for years. I cannot begin to imagine how many agents, publishers, and contacts I lost that were interested in my work but were, at that time, busy with other projects. Those contacts were deleted, so I have no way of sending them further emails regarding my future projects. There is no effective way to launch a new book than emailing your contacts or followers on social media. You already have a fan base at your fingertips, so use it. 

5. Getting published shouldn't be your main goal
Really? Absolutely. The actual art of creating a great story is what you should focus on. If you do that right, then publishing will be a natural step forward. The absolute joy of sitting in your office or garden, or wherever you choose to write, with that blank page, knowing by the end of that day you will have created something that is frightening, funny or heart-wrenching. That should be your focus.  Although getting published and being recognized is a great ego boost, the sense of achievement you get from creating a memorable story is the real prize.  

6. Write, write then write some more
 The more you write, the more in tune you will become to your style of writing. You have a unique voice so include writing in your daily schedule; the more you write, the better you will become. Also, have your writing critiqued regularly by those you trust and respect (not your family and friends). Ensure whomever you ask has the relevant skills and knows what makes a good piece of writing and how to critique effectively. You don't need to be told just that your writing is bad, (like my English teacher) but why it is bad and vice versa. When you have written something they love, why did they love it?

7. Writing is a journey
Writing is a lifelong adventure, where you will never stop learning. So enjoy each step of the way and relish where you are in your writing career right now. Being published is nowhere near as rewarding as the writing process itself. 

8. Be brave
Do not be afraid to show your work to someone, even if you believe it is not perfect or grammatically ready. You need to get regular feedback so you can gain confidence or iron out any mistakes and improve. If you continually write first drafts, only to stuff them away in a drawer because you are worried more about the punctuation being perfect, how are you ever going to learn how fabulous you are as a writer?

9. Take your time
Never rush the process of writing because you are looking forward to the moment you get published. The more you spend reading, writing and learning, the quicker you will reach your end goal. You cannot swim in an ocean when you cannot swim. It is the same for writing; each step in the process is there for a reason. Do not rush the process; enjoy it. 

10. Focus on the reader, not yourself
Your job as a writer is to serve your reader. Even if you are writing a biography, you are exposing something real and truthful that must spark interest and emotion for your reader. So make each sentence earn their right to be kept. Get out of your head and into the mind of your reader.