Although the best way to learn to write is simply writing, a little advice may avoid many problems.

The first and most important is to calculate how much time you can actually spend on writing. If you decide to set aside a certain amount of hours per day, for example in the mornings, you have to stick to this timetable as from the start. For a beginner, the most difficult part is often writing the first line. One tends to leave it for the following day or for when you are feeling inspired.

Some people like to write at night. I like to do it in the morning, because at night I end up falling asleep. Everyone has to find their own 'best time'.

Many writers wait until inspiration arrives, and only write when they are feeling inspired. I would advise future writers not to take this into consideration, as many books would never have been written if their author would have waited until he was inspired before setting out to write. Remember that inspiration takes many days off, and often goes on long holidays!

I have got into the habit of switching on my PC in the morning, reading the last few pages that I wrote the day before, (one or two pages should be enough to get back into the 'jist'). You may find that sometimes you have to read them two or three times, often maybe more pages, or a whole chapter, but in the end, you always get into the swing again.

Some like to handwrite, although I think it's a matter of what you get used to, and I believe that PC's have multiple advantages, for example avoiding having to type everything out afterwards, or instantly erasing those parts that you've decided you don't like.

Synopsis

One of the first questions is whether or not to write a synopsis before starting, or whether to just let it develop as it goes along. There isn't an easy answer to this question as each writer has his own methodology.

A well known English author, a good friend of mine, thinks of the plot and then fills in the details in a couple of lines. He then includes the characters and goes on to divide the story into chapters, even if all he manages to get is the chapter titles. After this, he writes a summary of the story, then he gives life to the characters, describing them and extending the story. Readers normally like to know a little about the characters, their past life and their closest relatives, for example.

However, there are also famous authors that declare they never know how their stories are going to end, they simply start the story and let the characters decide how it should continue.

In my case, I tend to follow a mixture of both of these formulas. When I wrote 'La Esclava Blanca' (White Slave) and 'Emigrantes' (Emigrants), I made out a draught before getting down to serious writing, although I must admit that the characters played an important part in the development of the plot.

However, when I wrote the thrillers, I had no doubt that he story had to be clear from the start, and I had the plot written down before actually starting to write the book.

Notes

Note down the names and surnames of all the characters, describe them and make sure the notes are available for reference throughout the time you are writing.

Buy a notebook specifically for the notes you will be making while writing. Include everything that could be of use, such as character descriptions, descriptions of buildings, streets or landscapes.

I generally use a small notebook to jot down foreign names and surnames, which I get out of newspapers; football players, for example. I also jot down names of trees, animals, fish, clothes or instruments used during the middle ages, or anything that in the future may come in handy whilst writing.

At the moment, I am in the middle of writing a collection of books on the XVI century conquerors, so I have gathered together a few typical exclamations of that period. I also have a list of verbs that can substitute 'said', for example, comment, sigh, reply, exclaim, accuse, agree, etc. Having a list of antique weights and measures can also come in handy, such as a finger's or arm's breadth, a league, a pole or rod, a fathom, an area, an acre, a grain, a gill, a peck or a bushel, as can antique currencies such as maravedies, crowns, etc. It is interesting to compare how much tradesmen, sailors and other workers earned in the olden days (a sailor earned roughly 11.000 maravedies a year, whereas an officer received 35.000, and the governor of a colony would receive about 365.000 maravedies a year), bearing in mind that a maravedi would be more or less 1 US dollar nowadays.

It's better to know what products were discovered in America to avoid mistakes like having a bunch of people eating potatoes in a novel based on the year 1000 A.C. Some products that were brought over from America in the year 1500 A.C. and after, were, to state only a few: pumpkins, pineapple, chilli pepper, tobacco, cocoa, corn, the above mentioned potatoes, avocados, sunflowers and vanilla. On the other hand, grapes, wheat and lettuces are some of the products that were taken over to America from Europe, as were bananas, carrots, tamarind, aubergine, cucumber, garlic, melon and mango, sugar cane, olives, onions, spices, figs, citric fruit, rice and coffee, among other nutritional products.

Techniques

Be careful not to write lengthy paragraphs or phrases. I have come across texts that had not one full stop in ten lines, leaving the reader slightly lost or confused. Generally, a complete phrase should never be more than two lines long.

Make sure the dates you use are correct, and if you're not certain, don't include them. Check and double-check your facts before putting them down in writing. The book I'm reading at the moment about Carlo Magno assures that King Alphonsus I was the son of Favila. This mistake could have been avoided checking in any good Spanish history book, as most of them include the necessary facts on the genealogy of the Asturian kings.

If you intend to write a book about chess, for example, look up all the details beforehand, checking its origin and looking for a brief history of the game.

Try not to repeat names. Use subtle formulas: 'He went to Seville, he was living in the capital of Andalusia'. Talking about a famous person, e.g. Columbus, use different techniques: 'exclaimed Columbus', 'cried the admiral', 'continued the navigator', and so on.

Use dialogues to make the story advance, not just to fill up the pages. Through what the characters say, the reader should also learn something about what has already happened or what is going to happen. Obviously, different 'His concern proved to be accurate,' 'Just as he had imagined,' or 'As Milly had promised,' could be good examples. Remember to use linkers at the beginning of the sentence: However, As soon as, Although...

In any case, remember that if you don't like the end product, you can always erase the parts you don't like and write them in a more satisfying way.

Be careful with the punctuation marks. It's a good idea to keep up to date with all the changes, or simply as revision. Go over good grammar books now and again to revise.

You can also give the characters certain habits, such as chewing a toothpick, scratching his (or her) chin, etc. Physical defects can also be mentioned, like limping, a scar or a nervous tic.

You may want to begin the story at the beginning, the middle or the end. That is completely up to each writer. Many authors begin the story at the end, when the main character dies or is dying, and the story recalls his past life. The only bad point is that the reader already knows what is going to happen at the end, and some people don't like that. Others begin at the beginning, which could be the most valid system, depending on the story. I like to find an intermediate point to start my historic biographies, recalling certain events from the past, or from the characters childhood. This way you can take advantage and mention curiosities about their closest relatives, describing them physically, or the way they earned their living. Readers generally like to know something about the characters they are reading about, something about their childhood or other events of their past.

Avoid using difficult words that some people may not understand. No author is admired through his use of complicated words. Don't tire the reader with unnecessary information.

If you're going to write about a certain topic, make sure you are well informed. Investigate the necessary nomenclatures.

Before starting the book, decide how the characters are going to behave, and stick to this pattern throughout the story. The background characters are no less important and must be described thoroughly even if they only play a minor part:

'The sergeant had an awkward limp that made him walk lopsided, but he had piercing blue eyes.'

Don't overdo the sexual explanations. If you describe a sex scene, there's no need to be over-explicit or crude.

Some authors write in present tense, whereas I prefer to use the past. Some write in first person, as if they were narrating, others, including myself, use third person.

It could be a good idea to buy a book of synonyms to help you not to repeat the same word in one same sentence: boat, ship, vessel, etc.

Use dialogues were possible, as most readers tend to find dialogue less oppressive than solid information. You can include a conversation between two people where one of them is describing a third person that will shortly appear.

Bear in mind that the first two lines may be what attracts the reader, so try to give it the necessary strength. Start with something that's going to make the reader want to find out more. The author's task is to tell a story, using dialogue and description in a direct account.

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