“Keep your confidence up. Read. Mostly though, you have to sit down each day for a few hours and write whether you feel like it or not - don't wait for inspiration. Writing is a job. Do your research. All that research will give your novel an edge, because you know what you're writing about, it will be authentic. Expect disappointment - your manuscript WILL be rejected - you'll have to develop a thick skin. But if you stick with it and write with honesty, energy and originality, you'll succeed.”