Guest Post: My writing process, tips and tricks by Morgan Rhodes

My advice on writing a novel is to READ A LOT of novels similar to what you’re trying to write. Just glom them. This will help you learn structure and plotting and character arcs and what books have sold and what made them stand out to an editor. 

Whenever an idea comes to you, jot it down. You might forget it otherwise. Keep a notebook full of ideas and titles and anything else you can think of. Developing an outline of plot points will help you from getting of course in your story.

Then devote some time every day—even if it’s just a few minutes—and WRITE THE BOOK.

Warning!!! There will come a point when the book will not feel as fresh to you and you might even be bored with it. This is normal. KEEP WRITING!! I started and stopped a lot of books thinking this feeling meant that I should work on another idea. If you keep doing that, you’ll never finish anything!

Once you have the whole story done, LET IT SIT for at least a couple of weeks before reading it over. This will give you some distance from it. Then print it out and read it over like you’re reading someone else’s book. 

Then go back in and EDIT IT. It’s possible that it doesn’t work as it is and you need to rewrite it completely. I sometimes spend longer working on my second draft than I do on my first! By getting the first draft out you have the “bones” of the book. Sometimes the “flesh” needs an extreme makeover. SOMETIMES the book seems almost perfect after the first draft. Don’t be fooled, though. Edit it anyway. Go with your gut. Your gut will tell you when it’s ready.

GET A CRITIQUE PARTNER. Enlist somebody who’s not afraid to be honest and give you creative criticism to give the book a read. 

When you’re happy with your final draft, START THE SEARCH for a publisher or agent if you want to publish with a traditional house. Or you might prefer to self-publish. This is entirely up to you!

Lastly, don’t give up! Being a writer is a daunting process — even for those of us who are already published! Make sure you LOVE writing and that you LOVE your characters and READ, READ, READ!!!

About the Author:

From Goodreads

Morgan Rhodes lives in Ontario, Canada. As a child, she always wanted to be a princess -- the kind that knows how to wield a sharp sword to help save both kingdoms and princes from fire-breathing dragons and dark wizards. Instead, she became a writer, which is just as good and much less dangerous. Along with writing, Morgan enjoys photography, travel, reality TV, and is an extremely picky, yet voracious reader of all kinds of books. Under another pen name, she’s a national bestselling author of many paranormal novels. Falling Kingdoms is her first high fantasy.



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About Falling Kingdoms:

Release Date: December 11^th, 2012

Number of Pages: 412

Publisher: Razorbill

In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power--brutally transforming their subjects' lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:  

Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.  

Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished--and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.  

Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past--and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.  

Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword...  

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?