Lynn Hackles - Compass Points: Handy Hints for Writers

Lynne Hackles Handy Hints is a collection of tips and advice she has gathered over her years of selling words. Written in bite-sized pieces, all are useful, some are funny, and all are positive. Another excellent book from one of our most talented and amusing writing tutors.

Suzanne Ruthven, Editor - The New Writer

Only Lynne Hackles could write a book of Handy Hints for Writers. Shes been giving advice to writers for many years (despite being only 21!) and has collected thousands of tips from the numerous authors and writers shes interviewed for her regular column in Writing magazine. I particularly love the hint about creating a Great Aunt that you can offer as an excuse when a non-writer asks you to do something you dont want to do. This is one of those books you read from cover to cover and then dip back into, from time to time. Very handy indeed!

Simon Whaley, author of The Positively Productive Writer

Witty and wonderful, insightful and inspiring. If you write, want to write or know anybody who thinks theres a book lurking inside them, buy this guide

Every writer needs a friend like Lynne Hackles. This book is the next best thing.

I love Lynnes humour and her quirky way of looking at lifes truths. Essential reading for all scribes.

Jane Wenham-Jones, Wannabe a Writer and Wannabe A WriterWeve Heard Of

If you only buy one How To Write book, make it this one. Lynne Hackles has a wealth of experience, and tells you everything you need to know with wit, wisdom, insight and humour. Nor has she forgotten how scary it is to be starting out on the long, winding, rocky road to publication. Lynne is a guide you can trust. She will tell you what, and show you how. The rest is up to you.

Jane Jackson, A Place of Birds; The Iron Road; Dangerous Waters;Tide of Fortune; Eye of the Wind; The Chain Garden.

First published by Compass Books, 2013
Compass Books is an imprint of John Hunt Publishing Ltd., Laurel House, Station Approach,
Alresford, Hants, SO24 9JH, UK
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
www.compass-books.net

For distributor details and how to order please visit the Ordering section on our website.

Text copyright: Lynne Hackles 2012

ISBN: 978 1 84694 845 9

All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical articles or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publishers.

The rights of Lynne Hackles as author have been asserted in accordance with the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Design: Lee Nash

Printed and bound by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY

We operate a distinctive and ethical publishing philosophy in all areas of our business, from our global network of authors to production and worldwide distribution.

Need an intro? Heres mine.

I wish I knew then what I know now. Have you ever said that? If so Im here to help.

Im going to pass on what Ive learned over thirty years of writing.

Some of these tips and snippets of advice may not work for you. Or they may work but only some of the time. Many contradict each other because thats the way writing goes there are no hard and fast rules in writing. What works for one person will do nothing for another. What works one day may not work the next.

Every time we sit down to write the process may be different.

If there is one Golden Rule it is not to beat yourself up about your work.

A lifetime ago I read an article on how to write a best-seller. The author of this piece gave advice which included always using green ink, standing on your head in the shower to write and to be sure to commit suicide a week before their book came out. (Not advised here.)

Now, fancy me remembering that! It could be proof that my daftest tips will stick with you. Forever. It may be that the silliest will work for you. Often. All I can say is that theyve all worked for me, even if it was only the once.

Coming out

At some point you will want or feel the need to tell others what you are doing. I want to be a writer. Or I am a writer.

One of my all-time favourite quotes comes from Molire who said,

Writing is like prostitution.
First you do it for the love of it,
Then you do it for a few friends

And finally you do it for money.

Some people write in secret simply because they love the act of writing and they want to put their thoughts and ideas down on paper or up on screen. Thats doing it for love but how long can you spend locked away on your own before a family member wants to know what you are up to? At some point, unless you live alone and can keep Big Secrets, you will want to come out and admit that you are writing. This is when you begin sharing your work with a few friends and we all know friends will tell you how good you are and how you should get published. This is the stage when you might join other writers at a club or group or class and, when you are good enough, they might encourage you to write for money.

So the stages of writing are:

1. for Love
2. for Friends
3. for Money

We all need to hold on to stage one. Lots are happy with stage two. Many dream of stage three. Some reach it and end up happy, earning money by doing something they love.

Theres nothing wrong with any of the above as long as you are happy being at whatever stage youve reached.

The best advice ever

Find the market first. Write the product next.

Write about what you know

Its what all new writers are told and it does make life easier. If you know a subject then you dont need to do any/as much research.

Work out what you actually do know. Try making a list. Add hobbies, interests, jobs in fact you know such a lot because its all down to personal experience and the longer youve lived the more personal experience youve had.

I bet you dont realise how wise and clever you are.

Write about what you dont know

Learn by exploring unfamiliar areas. Check out the non-fiction section of the local library. Take up a new sport or hobby. Learn and write about it. Use your imagination and invent a whole new world.

Try to learn something new every day. Visit a new place. Make a new friend. Try out a new word. Have a new experience. (Make it a legal one.)

Not in your head

Many people write books in their heads. Make sure yours is written on screen or paper.

Kissing babies

I always did it discreetly. Kissing.

Standing near the post box I would take a good look around to make sure no-one was watching. Non-writers wouldnt understand if they saw me plant my lips on the large envelope before dropping it into the post box. Theyd think I was mad. Kissing lottery tickets is okay but members of the non-writing community dont understand about manuscripts.

I often wondered if any eagle-eyed receptionist, whose job it was to open the post in the mornings, wondered what the Peach Crush smudge on the envelope was. Its not a good way to blot ones lippie. But my babies were always kissed before being sent out into that big wide world. Why? Because thats what I did with the very first piece I submitted and it was accepted so it stands to reason, doesnt it, that every one after that needed to be kissed to stand any chance of success.