━━━━ when it comes to writing of book, there are no set rules you have to follow in order for your book to succeed. writing allows for authors to let their imagination run wild when it comes to creating all of their characters, storylines and the world they're writing about.

━ you must love your story. what's the point in writing something that you yourself don't enjoy? if you are passionate about it, you'll spend more time and put in more effort with your writing. authors tend to do their best when they are writing about characters and plots that they are deeply invested and devoted to.

━ while writing, withhold information from your readers and only give them the information that they need in the moment — don't drop a major plot twist on them if it's not needed, or doesn't go along with your story. supporting details for your story should remain hidden, give readers just the tip of the iceberg — as this prevents readers from getting too overwhelmed with what's been given to them, and allows their minds to fill in the blanks with their imagination and creative mind.

━ detail and complexity is delicious when writing and reading, but simplicity can also give readers the same experience as lengthier writing. you can get all your points across with simpler sentences.

━ motivation plays a key part in writing. try and write every day, or every few days: whether it's 100 words a day, or more. great writers have a regular writing habit — which means dedicating time to craft your stories. some days may be much more productive than others, so don't feel down if what's produced if you feel it isn't your best. the more you write, the easier it is.

━ set yourself milestones with writing. books can be giant, filled with thousands and thousands of words, and a mass of chapters but milestones, as well as keeping yourself motivated, will help you manage your writing and help break down your work: which will make your writing just that little bit easier in the long run.

a simple milestone like setting yourself an aim for at least 1200 words per chapter, is a viable milestone to go by and stick to.

━ remember structures. write down all ideas or plots you have: create posters or diagrams, form lists with main plots and subplots you wish to include, and follow whichever story structure you wish to go by with your book.

━ taking regular breaks is needed. writers block is a thing that hits every writer. step away from the work you have written and allow your mind to relax. your book will still be there when you return and are ready to continue.

━ branch out read other writers. reading can help with your own writing skills, you can gain knowledge from what you read and how others write.

read genres that are similar to your book — you'll be able to read how other authors implement in their plots, how they add tension, and how they wrap up their story.

━ feedback is crucial. it's difficult to critique your own work as you won't be honest with what you've produced, so ask others to read a rough up of what you have so far. ask them for honest feedback, as this is a great way to learn about what works, what might not work, and what others think of what you have produced — you'll be able to take back the information they've given, expand on any points that have been made, and further develop your work.

━ all great stories have relatable characters. characters should be given a memorable introduction when you introduce them into you story, and a character who shows their good and bad qualities is more likely to be memorable and dynamic.

━ characters must be given unique qualities and flaws, much like how characters do within roleplays. they need flaws that make them interesting. nobody will want to read about a perfect character where nothing wrong ever happens, or they're oh—so strong.

━ everyone has quirks and vulnerabilities, and your character should too. it makes it realistic and allows them to develop further in the story, so they can grow and learn from whatever experiences may end up happening as the story unfolds. once you've then established your characters characteristics traits and quirks, stick to them.

━ stories need conflict for them to be interesting, and without them they'd be boring and have no drama, tension of forward momentum. the conflict can be of any type — internal or external. conflict helps with character development and growth.

these conflicts can be key elements for upping the stakes for your characters. this means that the story can progress during any obstacles or challenges, and will keep readers hooked. they'll want to see how the character overcomes the challenges.

━ a memorable ending is an important aspect. a good beginning is important, but the ending is equally as important. a satisfying ending provides the reader with a sense of closure. plan your endings, like you do with all your writing.

your ending could be emotive, and resonate with your readers — whether it's happy, or sad, it should evoke a strong reaction from those reading. the end of your book is what people will remember after they have finished reading it, so make it count and don't finish it off with a predicable or cliché ending.

━ dialogue is one of the many essential elements of a story, as it conveys personality, helps with the plot, and can provide information to readers. make sure your dialogue sounds as natural as possible, try and avoid overly formal speech — your characters should sound like real people while conversing. keep it brief. too much and it can be a pain to read, so try breaking it up with action in—between.

━ there is a saying: "show, don't tell" within the writing industry, and is a helpful push forward that basically means good descriptions are the key to writing a good story.

writers should make their readers care about their characters through their actions, which are far more important than a characters thoughts. readers will want to visualise the characters and their setting, which can only be done with well—written parts of your story.

too much description can be a little too much for the readers, but just enough will push readers into then picturing a mental note of the world they've jumped into. these descriptions help set the scenes.

━ you need tension and suspense. without it, the readers will not be engaged. you can do this by introducing conflict in at an early stage, such as a protagonist versus an antagonist, or your character up against a situation they find challenging. tensions and suspense is also effective for development.

━ pace your story. there's no point in rushing in and throwing everything in straight away, readers will get overwhelmed or lose interest.

━ read and edit your work. use resources to your advantage. don't like a word you've used? google a few synonyms for the word, and see which one flows with the rest of the sentence.