Goodreads asked T.W. Iain:

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

T.W. Iain Write. Simple as that. Staring at a blank page doesn't help, so just start typing, or writing longhand, or dictating - whatever way you want to work.

Something I do is trying to blank my mind and writing whatever surfaces. I don't edit as I go, or try to form the thoughts into a story. I don't correct any inconsistencies (and I try not to correct spellings either). I just write whatever comes to me.

Sometimes it's garbage. Sometimes it's nothing more than a way of venting whatever I'm feeling. But at other times it contains a spark of an idea that I can use. And then I can work on that, letting more ideas come. They might be a mess initially, but I can work on them. And, slowly, they become a story.

Another piece of advice is to aim for a routine. Try different things - writing in the morning or the evening, at a desk or on the sofa. Try writing for ten minute chunks or hour long slots. Try a few things, see what's most comfortable, and then set aside some time, each day if possible, to be in the place you found comfortable. If you don't feel 'the muse' every time, that doesn't matter. Just write something. You'll develop a habit, and then your writing will come easier.

So my advice is to write to a routine. If 'the muse' isn't there, force it to come through determination and the tap of your fingers on the keyboard.

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