Secrets of writing fiction...

There are, by request, 4 things that determine whether you get started as a writer / author or whether you give up before you even get good.

The first is: are you ORIGINAL. Based on all you read and saw others writing, do you believe yourself to be original. I can't teach anyone to be original -it is just a feeling you may have and cultivate in daily living. I realized I was original when I had more social experiences and my introspectivity wasn't merely abstract or fantasized.

The second is: there must be something you LIKE writing about. Such as Sara's dragons or my witches and telepaths. The more things you like writing about, the more you may succeed as a writer. This is similar to point 1 above. Original yes, like / able to write about it is crucial.

The third is: poeticism, sarcasm, karma, justice, and all the PHILOSOPHICAL concepts mankind has -do they interest you? They should.

The final and most important one is: ask yourself: are you a perfectionist? writing as a temporary job / satisfied as an amateur, or do you really want to SELL BOOKS? Of course it is the latter (right?) Whether you sell 4 a week or 4 a month, you must want to increase your reach -the reach of your ORIGINAL ideas. Be hungry for it.

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Chapter 9 is slow going due to Liew pain-givers. But I am 1/4 way thru and it shouldn't be long before I can release the final draft, maybe circa midnight KUL time.

More on writing fiction. You must devote time to it. Saying 'I have some time to write something' is wrong. You must actually have an 'It's writing time!' attitude. Further, you must be upbeat about Books. There is no point if you rather like listening to conversations or watching TV series. Books are special and I love holding my novella, iS whenever I want to feel happy, or to read my Kindle buys whenever I'm free. Yes, I even love eBooks and formatting documents on my own.

Being a critic, being persnickety about what you read is okay but realize it prevents you from digesting all but the most polished of books or the most sensational page-turners. I was so persnickety that I DNF Foundation by Asimov and Hyperion by Dan Simmons. I would advise all would-be authors to start off reading everything. I even read Shakespeare. Then to become increasingly persnickety once you're mature enough to critic others' work.

Sometimes, you will succeed and sometimes you will fail. Don't throw away any of your ideas or rejected stories. They can be planted into your mind again and grow into something special -your Universe. I use failed book content in my other writings that succeed (in being finished at least). It's cool when you can dip into a folder and find an easter egg for your book that's original and written by yourself.

These days, you will need a computer, a writing desk, a writing chair or stool, a good keyboard and mouse, maybe a big display. Writing costs quite a bit. You can also begin small -with pen and paper, just $5 to get started. If you have just pen and paper, then be creative. Make charts and maps instead of writing. Write the best lines in full -give them a page of their own, and the rest as abbreviated passages, bullet points. It's also fun but with a computer of sufficient capability, you can also reach out onto the Internet which is great for down time, sharing your work, and for research. You could also coop up in a library for 6 hours and it would also be good but for me, home is the most relaxing place to be.