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Rachel Davidson, long-time Jericho Writers Premium Member and now a part of our Writer Support team, is currently studying on the Ultimate Novel Writing Programme. She’s agreed to share her experience of the course with us month by month.

First up: a look at how she made the decision to invest in her writing – and believe in herself...  

Hey there – thanks for popping by. Let me introduce myself. I have been a Premium Member with Jericho Writers for many years. I’d give you the precise number, if only I could remember! Suffice to say, Jericho Writers has consistently walked beside me as I traverse the writerly landscape. 

More recent times have seen me joining the Jericho Writers team, in Writer Support – which means that for three days a week, I get paid to think about writing, talk about writing and help other writers with their writing. I love it! 

And now there’s another big tick on my to-do list. I’ve been accepted onto the Ultimate Novel Writing Programme. The first month’s topic is Planning and Plotting. Well, I’ve been planning and plotting this since the earliest of days. Let me go back to the beginning and tell you my story... 

I’ve wanted to be an author since primary school, where I discovered the wonder of writing stories. More than this, I discovered the joy of my stories being read. My teacher was a fan of the tales I wrote: a series of Nancy Drew-esque mysteries which my identical-twin characters solved with surprising ease. He was a kind teacher. I was awarded the English Literature Cup at our final ‘graduating’ assembly. Destiny set. I was going to be an author. 

Turn the page to the next chapter – the scene is my first secondary school English lesson. I am having my tall poppy head sliced off. I have no memory of what was actually said: can’t even remember the teacher’s name, or what she looked like. I do remember the crushing reset. How foolish, to think I could be a writer! My efforts were lacking. I did not measure up. Just who did I think I was? She had pointed at the part of me that thought I couldn’t and said: “You’re right.” 

It took me thirty years to get back to my dream.  

It took me falling in love.  

One day, my new husband asked: “Who do you think you are? Who do you really want to be?”  

“An author, please?” I replied. 

“Please?”  

He frowned, then pointed at the part of me that thought I could, and said, “You’re right.”  

That was ten years ago. Since then, I have written five full novel-scale manuscripts and have started my sixth. I self-published the first three and proved a boatload and more to myself. I could write books which did sell, and that people enjoyed reading. I decided to change genre and aim to be traditionally published – and this is the track I’m on today.  

My fourth manuscript garnered one competition long-listing and sixty-three agent rejections. My fifth manuscript earned a long-listing in another competition and is currently collecting its own set of rejection-gongs. It hurts. It’s okay. It’s the process. I’m older. I know better now to keep going, and why it is important to do so: because my heart and its contents matter. 

That moment of permission from my husband was my inciting incident – and the Ultimate Novel Writing Programme is perhaps my mid-point. Could this be the moment at which everything will change and there’ll be no going back? It’s a big investment in my dream of becoming the best novelist I am capable of being. I want to hone my craft and grab the opportunities the course provides. I want to be proud of my writing: confident that I’m on my way to being an accomplished – perhaps even a great – storyteller.  

There are going to be a few more ups and downs in this plot line of mine. A crisis (or two) is to be expected. Moving between the first, second and third acts always involves some level of hanging off cliffs, yes?  

Ultimately, I’m hoping this is a redemption story – that a happy ending looms in the future for me. If I end up attracting the attention of an agent or publisher – or if I don’t – I am giving myself permission to find out what I can achieve. I’m plotting and I’m planning. I’m defining character and honing my voice. 

So, who do I think I am? I’m an author – learning to fully inhabit the role. Perhaps you’ll let me share my progress and experiences with you, as I work through the Ultimate Novel Writing Programme?  

I hope so.  

See you next time, 

Rachel 

Rachel Davidson is a long-term Premium Member of Jericho Writers prior to joining our Writer Support Team, Rachel loves helping hopeful writers, such as herself, to solve their problems and take a step or two closer to achieving their writing dreams. Rachel has previously self-published a trilogy, the first of which achieved bestseller status in fourteen Amazon categories in the UK, US, Australia and Canada and is now seeking her traditional publishing debut with her latest manuscript. You can find out more about Rachel via her Instagram @RachelDavidsonAuthor.

Do you struggle to silence the voice in your head that asks: 'Who are you to call yourself a writer?' or 'Who d'you think you are, spending precious time on a project that's bound to go nowhere?' You're far from alone. All authors - published and unpublished - struggle to shut this voice up from time to time. Rosie Fiore is an editor, mentor, the author of eight novels and a tutor on both our Novel Writing Course and Ultimate Novel Writing Programme. Here, she shares her top tips for banishing impostor syndrome for good... 

How do you answer that dreaded question, “What do you do?”

“I’m an author.”

“I’m a writer.”

“I'm an aspiring writer.”

“I’m trying to write.”

“I write a bit in my spare time.”

It can be difficult to name ourselves as writers: to take pride in our work and our achievements and to keep our courage up. Writing is lonely and tough, and sometimes it’s hard to persuade yourself to keep going.

As a writer, I bear the scars of failure and indifference, and I’ve done my share of staring into the long dark night of the soul. I’ve also mentored hundreds of writers who face the fear every day. So, here are five things I tell them (and try to tell myself).

1. There is no magic threshold

What’s that insistent little voice in your head saying? Mine says things like: “Call yourself a writer? You haven’t published anything / finished anything / written anything good.”

When I started running, the same voice told me I couldn’t call myself a runner because I hadn’t run a marathon / half marathon / 10k, and I wasn’t very fast. I am here to tell you that this is nonsense, in both cases.

Of course I'm a runner, even though I am only running a slow few miles. And if you’re writing, you’re a writer.

You’re doing the work. It isn’t an exclusive club. You’re not aspiring, unpublished or trying. You’re a writer. Own it.

2. Get yourself some cheerleaders

Sometimes, your courage will fail you. You will look at the words on the page (or the lack thereof) and think that you can’t do this.

You will need someone else to tell you that you can. Maybe that will be your significant other / mum / child/ best friend. But if not, you need writing buddies - so find your people.

Join a writing group, in person or online. Do a course. Look on the Jericho Writers Townhouse. Other writers will cheer you on, and by supporting them in return you will learn and gain so much.

3. Back yourself

Oh, this one is difficult. I did a playwriting course once and the teacher, John Donnelly (a fantastic playwright), said these two words. “Back yourself.”

My mind instantly rebelled and that insistent little voice spoke up. “You’re rubbish,” it said. “Lazy, undisciplined, not very good. Why would anyone back you, least of all yourself?”

“How do you talk to yourself?” John asked, as if he could hear my inner voice. “Would you talk to anyone else like that? Don’t speak like that to the person you need most in the world.”

I have a tiny post-it by my desk now that says, “Back yourself.” And when the ugly voice surfaces, I try to remember to look at it.

4. Celebrate the small wins

Celebrate the big wins. Hell, celebrate ALL the wins.

You finished a draft? Take a walk in the park. You revised that tricky scene? Cup of tea and a biscuit. Someone asked for a full manuscript? Well, that’s worth a dinner with friends!

I have a special dance I perform every 10,000 words (my family loves it and doesn’t roll their eyes, honest!).

Don’t wait for some mythical future date when you achieve all your goals. Try to make every step of the process joyful.

5. Bum in chair, fingers on keyboard

If doubt creeps in, keep going. If you think it’s rubbish, keep going. If you want to scrap it all and give up, keep going.

Nothing silences that insistent, ugly inner voice like the clatter of typing.

And remember:

“People saying: “It can’t be done,” are always being interrupted by somebody doing it.” – Puck magazine, 1903.

You’ve probably heard the line “never let the truth get in the way of a good story.” You’ve probably also heard it attributed to the humourist Mark Twain – although, ironically enough, that attribution is doubtful at best.  

But have you ever considered it as a piece of writing advice? It’s actually a tremendously helpful way of thinking about creative non-fiction and the way you have to wrestle reality onto the page. 

Here are five useful lessons (perhaps we could even call them truisms!) that the famous phrase suggests: 

1. Tell the truth 

The truth isn’t the only thing that matters – and shortly, we’ll look more closely at why that’s the case. However, it’s still vitally important in non-fiction.  

The best way to get readers to believe in you as a narrator is to make sure everything you say is credible. Check your facts. Verify your sources. Test your theories. Where you are doubtful, say so. Do not lie. Your book is pointless if it doesn’t feel trustworthy. 

2. Remember: you are telling a story 

Telling the truth doesn’t necessarily mean telling the whole truth. Your duty is to your reader – not to every single thing that happened.  

Just because something has lodged in your memory, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s important. Always be thinking about what moves your writing forwards. What does your reader need to know to understand your narrative? What is less important?  

Also, what’s interesting? Remember, stories are meant to be fun to read. 

3. Remember that good dialogue on the page is not the same as real speech 

Think about how journalists write up quotations. They don’t give us all the ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’, the hesitations and repetitions of natural speech – but we don’t (usually!) think that this is a deception.  

It’s okay to make speech run more fluently and fluidly – as long as you stick to the essential meaning and import. 

4. Real people have real feelings 

These feelings can be hard to predict and easy to hurt. If you’re writing about real people, you have to be careful – both from the point of view of not getting sued, and in line with the demands of basic humanity.  

Think carefully before you put anyone into your book. Are you sure you need to include them? Are you sure they will remember things in the same way you do? Are you certain your portrayal is accurate? Is there a justification for disguising someone’s identity? 

5. The truth matters 

I know I’ve already (kind of) said this, but it’s worth repeating. It’s worth stressing that the stories you tell as a non-fiction writer are worth telling, in spite of all the potential difficulties of doing so.  

The truth counts. Today, yesterday, forever.  

Setting it down on the page might just be the most important thing you do. 

At Jericho Writers, Sam is a tutor on both the Ultimate Novel Writing Programme and the Novel Writing Course, and also offers one-to-one mentoring and editorial support. You may also like to check out the Introduction to Memoir and Creative Non-Fiction course.

Julie Hartley, a Canada-based writer of historical fiction, shares her experience of writing for Bookouture.

When I submitted my first novel to Bookouture, a division of Hachette UK, I wasn't fully aware of the difference between digital-first and traditional publishers. I had published three books with independent presses, and I was seeking an agent in the hope that my next novel might find a more global readership. Then, I stumbled on the Bookouture website. I was delighted to see that you could submit to them unagented, and I sent off my manuscript at once.

From submission to publication

The novel I submitted to Bookouture was historical fiction set in occupied France in 1942, and I heard back from them within only a couple of weeks. The acquisitions editor felt the novel was not a fit for their lists, but on the strength of the manuscript she asked if I might be interested in writing something set in England during World War Two. Thrilled, I sent them several synopses, and they selected the two with the strongest hooks.

Publishing companies survive because they know how to sell books, and a strong hook is critical. My first novel for Bookouture, Her Secret Soldier, is about a lonely young woman who discovers an injured German spy in the ancient forest behind her home. She feels compelled to help him, but in doing so risks becoming a traitor to her country. My second novel, The Promise She Made, is about a feisty young girl in 1940 who, desperate to keep her younger sister safe from the Luftwaffe bombs, books passage for them both to Canada against the wishes of her family. Their ship is torpedoed by the Germans in the middle of the Atlantic, with heavy loss of life. A novel must have a strong hook for a publisher to sell it, and my experience with Bookouture taught me digital publishers are no exception.

After several emails and meetings, I received a contract to write both novels. I hadn’t thought such things still happened! However, a shock awaited me when I read the contract. The first novel was to be delivered in just three months.

Digital-first publishers are not a fit for every writer

Writers working with digital publishers often publish two or three books a year, building a brand and a following of loyal readers. Initially I found this pace daunting, but quickly discovered that I absolutely loved it. Writing to a tight deadline means beginning with a detailed plan, at least for me. I brushed up on five act structure and expanded the first synopsis into acts, then chapters, and finally scenes before beginning the first draft.

Every morning for eight weeks I wrote from 5am to 9am and, despite working full time, finished the novel with a week to spare. Meeting a tight deadline meant changing how I worked in other ways, too. My first draft is always handwritten, but there wasn’t time to type in the second draft as I might usually have done, so I tried talk to text. To my surprise, this had a positive impact on my manuscript, since the musicality of a sentence is much more apparent when it is read out loud.

Tight deadlines wouldn’t work for all writers, but I discovered that immersion in the lives of my characters day after day was something I really enjoyed – along with the knowledge that, for the first time, I was writing something that would definitely be published.

A good editor can make or break an experience with a publisher, digital or otherwise

I'm fortunate enough to have a fabulous editor at Bookouture. She is quick to spot structural issues in a manuscript, which is what you need when the deadline is tight – but she is also kind, and she sees the editorial process as a dialogue.  I had initially wondered if the tight publication schedule of a digital-first publisher might mean hasty editing, but this was not the case. My experience with Bookouture has been nothing but positive.

The pros and cons of working with a digital-first publisher

With a traditional publisher it can take years to grow your novel from hook to book, but with a digital publisher the journey is much quicker. In addition, many digital publishers accept submissions from unagented writers. These were both huge positives for me. On the flip side, working with a digital publisher means you don’t see your books in shops, at least initially – something that might be an important consideration for some writers.

It's difficult to say what the future of digital-first publishing will be in an industry that is ever-changing, but for now at least, digital publishers offer writers an additional route to publication – and at a time when it can seem harder than ever before to succeed creatively, this is surely a good thing.

Julie Hartley is the author of two historical novels, both released by Bookouture. She lives in Toronto, Canada where she runs creative writing classes for teens and retreats for adults. You can find Julie's latest novel here. You can also find out more about Julie and her books on her website, and stay up to date with her latest releases via Facebook and Instagram.