It’s hard to give blanket advice because each author’s journey to publication is so different. I started by writing short stories. I entered them into competitions and submitted them to women’s magazines and, once I felt I could craft a good short story, I turned my hand to novels. But lots of authors have never written a short story, or have no interest in writing one. I learnt about writing novels by reading ‘how to’ books. I read everything I could get my hands on – books about crafting characters, creating plots, the three act structure, the hero’s journey, writing a ‘blockbuster’ – everything. I also read, and continue to read, books on writing screenplays as a lot of what you can learn from a gripping film you can also apply to novel writing. But the best way to learn how to write a novel is to read. Read everything and anything, within your chosen genre and outside it. Read with a critical eye. What makes one book good and another bad? Analyse a book you found compelling. Why did you keep turning the pages? When you’ve finished writing your book get a second opinion from someone who isn’t a friend or related to you. Join a local or online writing group or befriend another aspiring writer online and swap manuscripts. Learn from feedback. The chances are it will sting and you might be tempted never to write another book but if you can learn from it and bounce back you’ll become a better writer and your book will become a better book. Rejection and criticism are something all writers experience and it doesn’t end when you get an agent or a publisher. You need to be thin skinned to be a writer, but thick skinned to get published. To get a book published you need to write a damned good book and you need to be determined. Keep going!

Book club questions for The Missing by C.L. Taylor