Finding your own way

You can get a lot of advice both from books and across the Internet and, frankly, a lot of it is terrific. In fact, I'm sure all of it has worked for someone.

But none of it is going to work for everyone. In the end I think to be a successful writer - note the name of the blog you are reading, however — you have to find what works for you.

Many writers have found it helps them to, uh, drink a bit as they write. Great. Wish I could do that. But I can't have so much as a glass of wine and then try to write. My brain just want allow it. Others want complete silence. I put on my headphones and crank the music up, which is actually a way of "silence" as it drowns out all the distracting noise.

Others write at exactly the same time during the day, or carry a notebook around with them so they can jot ideas down (a "smart" phone allows you to do the same thing).

Try everything that looks as if it might work for you, but don't worry if you discard half of it or most of it. Writing is an intensely personal act. Others can read what you have written and help you once you have done it, but no one but you can coax it from your brain.

I haven't written on my latest rejection project in two nights so there's no update.

Yours in rejection,

Phil