As I’ve been writing over the years, I’ve learned what works best for me through trial and error. With that being said, I’ve also learned many things from other authors that have been helpful. I thought I’d share some of the writing hacks I’ve learned from others that are simply genius!

Stuck on what to name a character? No worries! Just browse through your Twitter feed and there will be several names to choose from. I find this especially helpful for last names. I don’t want to get stuck in a loop of always using Smyth, Smith, Brown, Browning, etc. Twitter can be really helpful with name ideas. 🙂

Looking for cool fantasy-ish character names that you don’t want to make up yourself? Sometimes you can make up a pretty cool name yourself for a fantasy character, but if you’re ever stuck or want some fresh ideas, you can try out a Fantasy Name Generator online which will help you find the perfect name. You can also use these for city names, country names, animal names, etc.

Caring too much about sales, marketing, reviews, readership? Let it all go. This is when you need to stop focusing so much on numbers and the business part of writing. Sometimes it’s a long process. It’s something you build on as you keep learning what works best for you. So, er, don’t quit your day job just yet and just focus on what you love doing the most on your spare time – writing. When you have funds to invest in more advertising, look into what your best options will be, but try not to let it overtake your love of writing.

Write what you love. I’ve always said this myself – pretty much from the beginning – but it’s nice when other authors remind me that it is best to write what you love. That way, if your book only makes a few sales per year, at least you love what you’ve written. I also think readers respond more to a story that was passionately written. You can always tell when the writer really loved the story they wrote. An extra helpful tip: You can mix “write what you know” into “write what you love” by inserting certain situations or places you’ve experienced into your story, weaving a little bit of yourself into the pages without making it a full autobiography (unless you want to).

Do what works for you. It really does come down to writing and publishing in the way that will best meet your goals. There’s no one way to market your books, either. If there was, I’m sure everyone would be following it. Standing out is hard. We all know that marketing and promotion will sell books, but it can take some experimentation to figure out what works best. In the end, what works for someone else might not work so well for you. You’ll find your niche and your own path.

Don’t take other people’s writing advice to heart. You’ve probably noticed there’s a lot of writing rules out there and some of them are conflicting. I think you should take these rules with a grain of salt as a creative. If someone gives a writing tip that works for you, then by all means, use it. That’s what I do! I’ve found all of these hacks to be helpful, but some of them might not ring true to you. I hope you’ve found at least some of them helpful. 🙂

Thank you all so much for reading. Xx

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