Every time I start writing a new book I re-read The War Of Art by Steven Pressfield. No other book perfectly describes what it's like to get up everyday and make the sacrifices necessary to create art. It speaks of not only the creative side but the professional side as well.

If you haven't read the book I suggest you do ASAP. You can sample and buy a copy of the book HERE. Trust me, it'll change your outlook on your writing habits. Now on the today's post...

Reading a few pages of The War Of Art everyday before you start writing is my first tip for newbie authors. It'll give you the inspiration you need to put pen to paper. I also suggest:

• Freestyle Your Writing - Although I showed you how to outline your story and create a plot outline that you can follow I don't want you to get stuck to that while you're writing. Let the story flow while keeping your plot in mind. If you find yourself having writer's block go to your outline and brainstorm on how you can get from the place where you're stuck to the next point in your story's plot.
• Use Place Fillers and Take Notes As You Go - You aren't going to know each and every detail of your story as you're writing it. This is where place fillers come in. For example, a scene takes place with your characters in a beauty salon but you have to think about the details of how it looks and what the atmosphere is like. You can simply write your characters entering the salon and put (Describe salon details) in parenthesis like so. If you aren't sure how someone looks insert (detail his/her looks) and keep it moving. You can go back and fill in these areas during the editing phase.
• Always Have Your Writing With You - You're going to hear me say this over and over again: writing a book takes self discipline! You should have time carved out to write at home but if you can't be prepared to write whenever and wherever you have time. You should have your notebook with you everywhere. If you can't take your notebook then you should have some type of notepad app on your phone that you can use to write in. Just transfer your writing to your notebook when you get home. Never make excuses for why you can't write. Be disciplined and write everyday!

You're officially an author. Take it serious. I'll see you in part six for editing.