Close to Me by Amanda Reynolds **Blog Tour Author post **

 
I am thrilled to welcome author Amanda Reynolds to Books, Life and Everything today to celebrate her debut novel, Close to Me. I always enjoy hearing from authors about writing and Amanda is here to share her Top Tips for Writing a Novel and getting it published.   

Before we read those, however, here is a little about her book which has already been optioned for television by a prominent Hollywood actress, who is attached to star as the lead character- intriguing!

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What if you couldn't remember the last year of your life? And the people closest to you were lying about what really happened?

She can't remember the last year. Her husband wants to keep it that way. When Jo Harding falls down the stairs at home, she wakes up in hospital with partial amnesia - she's lost a whole year of memories.

A lot can happen in a year. Was Jo having an affair? Lying to her family? Starting a new life? She can't remember what she did - or what happened the night she fell.

But she's beginning to realise she might not be as good a wife and mother as she thought.

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 Welcome, Amanda to Books, Life and Everything and over to you!

Amanda:

Here are my top ten tips for writing a novel and getting it published:

1. Write often. Every day if possible. It will keep you in touch with your story and build up your word count. Turn up and put words on the page. Keep going. Try not to worry too much. You can fix it later.
2. Be flexible. You may have planned everything out, you may not, but either way you will have an idea in your head of your story. If it changes, allow yourself to go with it and see where it takes you.
3. Find a supportive group of writers to share your thoughts and dreams with, as well as your work-in-progress. Listen to the critiques and try not to react immediately. You don’t have to follow their advice, that’s up to you!
4. Write the kind of book you would like to read. Don’t write for the market, publishing works so far ahead you’ll never be able to predict the trends.
5. Tell people you’re a writer. Whether you’re published or not. If you write, then you’re a writer.
6. Be professional from the start. Imagine you are building not only your novel, but your CV as a writer. Do your research and learn as much as you can about the publishing world.
7. Make connections. Go to Literary events and festivals, enter writing competitions.
8. Never give up. It takes a long time to write that first draft, but well done, you did it! Now revise and polish, then edit it all over again, and again. Make your book the best it can be before you send it to agents or publishers.
9. Listen to professional feedback. If you receive rejections with anything more than a standard wording it means someone who was very busy took the time to read your manuscript and offer their expert advice how you might improve it. Try to take it in the positive way it was given, don’t react instantly, but consider it and then decide if you think it might help.
10. BE PATIENT! Overnight successes are the exception, take your time and celebrate the milestones and successes along the way. It’s all part of the process.

Marianne: Thank you so much, Amanda. There is some great advice here. 

                                                                      About the Author

Amanda Reynolds teaches Creative Writing in Cheltenham, where she lives with her family. Her past jobs have included selling clothes online and writing murder mystery games.
Close To Me is her debut novel.
Follow Amanda on Twitter: @amandareynoldsj

Thanks to Katie Brown at Headline Press for a place on the Blog Tour via Bookbridgr.