THE ART OF WRITING STORIES

The Sun, 15/12/2010, page 19

This tips was shared by Nisah Haron - a Prolific Malay fiction writer

HOW TO GET STARTED

1) Be a reader - Read widely. Anything that available to you to read

2) Believe in your skill and talent - Believe your have the best story to share and face the critics strongly

3) Write with your heart but edit with your brain - Start writing when you feel you have enough material. Save it as draft and edit later

4) Set aside a timetable for your writing - Writing requires discipline & commitment

5) Set up a work station in your house - Dedicated room or area will establish discipline, routine & atmosphere to write

MISTAKES TO AVOID

1) Not knowing your audience - You have to know who you are writing for - adult, young children or children

2) Failure to identify the publisher's editorial guidelines - Get to know your publisher's profile before sending your manuscript

3) Submitting work without editing it first - Neat manuscript tells a lot about the author & it shows the author take pride of his/her work

4) Following other writer's style - Develop your own style of writing

5) Plagiarising other people's work - NEVER Plagiarise !!

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Nisah Haron - Prolific Malay fiction author. Starts writing age 15 and first short story published age 17. Former lawyer. Have grabbed more than 10 awards including Hadiah Sasters Siswa Bank Rakyat, Hadiah Sastera Perdana Malaysia and Hadiah Sastera Kumpulan Utusan.