LISTEN UP: WRITING TIPS!

 

Last week, as part of my Model Under Cover: A Crime of Fashion book launch in the UK, I was very kindly asked by Kids Fun Radio to do an interview at their London studio. (To listen to the podcast click here.)

 

Bex, the interviewer, had a lot of good questions for me, and one of the last questions she asked was whether I had any tips I could offer young, aspiring writers. So, as many of you have been asking me the same question, here are my four top writing tips:

 

1. Read! The more you read the better your writing will be, it’s that simple. You should have your nose in a book as often as you can, and for as long as you can. And you should be reading everything from the classics to bestsellers. And when you’ve finished reading, read some more!

 

2. Be Bold! For an author, it’s a great thing when your personal experiences can feed your writing, so go out and see new places, meet different people, try interesting things. You never know: anything or anyone, be it your fun-loving aunt or a snippet of overheard conversation, could inspire a new character, scene or even a whole book!

 

3. Keep a notebook! I’m partial to the bright-pink, little notebooks that Moleskin makes, but anything will do. Just choose one you like, and be sure it’s small enough to carry in your handbag or rucksack: you never know when an idea may strike you, and you want to be able to jot it down before you forget it!

 

4. Get real! By this I mean that if you want to write a book, but keep getting scared by the thought of having to write few hundred pages, then don’t think about it. Write a little every day, and eventually you’ll have a whole novel.

 

Let me know what you think, and don’t forget to listen to the podcast!

 

Carina x

 

ps: Me and Bex below at the Kids Fun Radio studio.