Jasmine asked Maggie Stiefvater:

I am trying to start a book but every time I start I don't like how it sounds. I feel that each time I get worse. Do you have any tips?

Maggie Stiefvater Dear Imogen,

1. Sometimes when you don't like the way a manuscript begins, it means you don't actually know or like how the manuscript ends. Play through the novel in your head and be honest with yourself: do you know where you're going? You don't have to know how you're going to get there, but having a goal in mind can make all the difference in the world. Remember that great beginnings often promise what happens in the end.

2. Read it out loud. You don't have to write the entire book like that, but if you close your eyes and imagine it being narrated to you by someone whose voice you like a lot (let's just imagine a world narrated by Emma Thomspon shall we?) it can often break you out of a block created by the words themselves.

3. Accept that it will not be perfect. Too many would-be writers remain would-be because they never get to the end. Revision is an absolutely crucial part of writing, but to revise well, you need objectivity. To have objectivity, you need space and time away from the words. The most efficient way to do this is to write a messy, complete draft and then put it down for a week before returning to start tidying.

Go forth and word.

urs,

Stiefvater

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