1. Decide what kind of novel you’re going to write – for example, thriller, romantic comedy, literary, crime – and read as many recent examples of that genre as you can lay your hands on.
2. With your first novel, it’s much better to stick to one genre, rather than go gaily skipping over several.
3. Get a grip on the basic nuts and bolts of technique before you start – you don’t need a degree in creative writing, go to evening classes, or read a million books on the subject of writing. There are three books I would recommend: If you’ve never written anything at all and have no idea where to start, then Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones will speedily unblock the U-bend of your creativity. The Creative Writing Student’s Handbook by Margaret James and Cathie Hartigan clearly explains the tools you need to build the framework of your novel. And every author should read Stephen King’s On Writing, because he tells it how it is.
4. Get on with it. Writers write and when they are not actually writing, they are thinking about writing, or talking about it. So finish your novel, polish it as brightly as you can, then send it out to agents or editors to see what reaction you get.
5. Or, if you want to skip that and go straight to self-publishing, then have your manuscript independently edited by someone like me and seriously consider their advice on revisions.
6. Writer’s block. If you come to a stop in your novel and can’t see a way forward, then employ lateral thinking and walk around that big rock, or tunnel underneath it, or do a sharp right turn and go somewhere else. But keep going: presumably you were burning to say something when you first started the novel, so recapture that enthusiasm and then move on.

Good luck, everyone!

Tina Devino

Tina’s Espresso Ice Cream

Inspired by Tina’s Italian heritage, this delicious recipe for coffee ice cream requires neither a fancy espresso- nor ice cream-maker. Easily whipped together and shoved in the freezer, it’s the perfect thing to pull out for a dinner party or as a treat for one …

You will need …

5 tsp instant coffee mixed with a little warm water to dissolve it

300ml double cream

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

Dissolve the instant coffee granules in warm water and allow to cool as much as possible. Whip the cream into stiff peaks and then fold in the coffee, condensed milk and vanilla extract. Spoon the mixture into an airtight container and pop it in the freezer for at least 6 hours but ideally overnight.

Feeling as rebellious as Tina? Try stirring in a handful of chocolate chips before freezing or topping with some Irish Cream liqueur and crumbled amaretti biscuits to make for a tasty take on a traditional Italian affogato.

Sergei Popov’s Russian Blinis