So here are my tips for keeping that passion alive, because you can become jaded whether you are published or not. It’s like a marriage, dedicating your life the written word and sometimes that relationship needs spicing up!

Try writing something different. When I’m feeling stale with my latest first draft, I take a break from the long form and write a short story or a blog post. That means I’m not wasting professional hours by procrastinating because I’ve reached a dawdling point in the novel-writing process. And I’m sure many of you know exactly what I mean! Rather than force myself through the writer’s block, I’ll hop over to Twitter or Facebook. So, this way I am still being productive and not losing too much valuable writing time on on social media. Or you can just jump forwards into your project. Currently stuck on a love scene? Try writing that argument that takes place later on. And usually, when I come back to my novel project, I’ve got new ideas and a sense of excitement to crack on.

Take a break. Many of us writers, pursuing our dream, work at home. And that means we can often end up dedicating too many hours to our passion. Finishing the day at five in the afternoon ends up being seven in the evening. Take me. Probably I should start at nine am, after my cycle ride, a bath and decent breakfast. But no, once I’ve taken off my cycling gear I’m usually at my desk by seven to seven thirty am and grab a quick bath and something to eat at around ten thirty. It’s no wonder the our passion for crafting every word and doing detailed research can wane.

So take a break. Do something completely different – like, dare I say it, housework. Or meet a friend for a coffee. Or go for a lovely walk. Find some me time that allows your brain to switch off. This is equally important if you don’t write full-time and perhaps have another job. This last year I’ve had many other priorities and less writing time, so there is even more of a temptation to burn the candles at both ends. DON’T DO IT.

Manage expectations. As I’ve  blogged about often on here, jealousy of other authors, self-doubt, rejection… this are all things that can wear an author down. Just try to be kind to yourself. This isn’t a race. You will fulfil your own potential in good time. Don’t set yourself up to be the most successful author ever. That is a surefire recipe for disappointment. Just aim to be the very best writer you can be.

It’s a bit like, say, a dating couple, thinking it’s really time they settled down, and hoping this is the right person to commit to. If they are still at the stage of finding out about each other, then this way of thinking, these expectations are only going to result in detrimental pressure. Whereas if they have no expectations at all, they will relax, just enjoy the current status quo and see where it goes. Don’t expect that your current project should be a bestseller or adapted for the screen. Just finish it. Rewrite it. Submit it. Learn from anything you feel goes wrong and move on to your next novel.

Read books by authors you admire. I tell you, there is nothing like this for making you fire on all engines and strive to raise your game. This prevents that real passion-killer, complacency. And the more and wider you read, you’ll realise just how experimental authors are and that will might encourage you to step out of your comfort zone, which is soooo important to keep that passion alive.

Try mindfulness. I took a course in it, last year. It’s all about noticing the detail of life, whether that is the sight of things or their appearance. This gave me a new perspective when writing and, hopefully, spiced up my prose. To find out exactly what I mean, take a look at this post.

My recently released novel, The New Beginnings Coffee Club, is my eighth published book. My first came out in 2013 and since then, I’ve stopped writing short stories (the year before that debut I sold 50 short  to women’s magazines.) And whilst I am now keenly starting my ninth book, I’ve decide to spice my up my art by starting to work on shorts again. And it’s been great -writing about all sorts of subjects, from all sorts of points of view! The diversity of writing in the short form has really spiced up my overall passion for my vocation and job.

So go on – why not try one of my tips for yourself?

The hair technician gets them from a friend in Peru. They are discarded feathers that would otherwise be thrown away.

I also bought this purse made from leaves. It is vegan and only made from foliage that has already fallen to the ground. The leaves are 25cm big and processed using ecologically-friendly materials. 10% of money earned from them goes back to the community they came from (you can find out more about Thamon’s products here).

All of this got me thinking about how I recycle my own writing. First up – NO writing is ever wasted, anyway, as you are constantly learning from every word you write. So, if like me, along the journey to publication you have stacked up several manuscripts that will never see the light of day, don’t despair. Those manuscripts are proof of how you hone your craft.

And, from a practical point of view, some of the work will eventually appear elsewhere, just in a different form. For example, two of the lead characters in my award-winning summer 2015 summer novel, Game of Scones, were originally created for a book I wrote that was rejected across the board. They are two high-flying executives who’ve embraced the modern world and lost sight of the simple things.

In fact that particular rejected novel was cannibalised in lots of ways. There was a catch-phrase in it, to express how much two characters loved each other, and I eventually used that in a short story I sold to The People’s Friend magazine.

Writing for the women’s magazine market is a great example of recycling. Each magazine has a slightly different remit, so when one rejects a story the writer can often re-work it to (hopefully) fit another one’s requirements.

The very first novel I wrote, back in 2005, (and, which, thankfully, was never published!) was set in Paris. I lived there as a young woman and the book was full of vivid descriptions of my favourite haunts. In 2013 I finally got a novel deal and Doubting Abbey was published. Its sequel was subsequently written and published it 2014. It was called From Paris with Love and I recycled a lot of the scenes I’d written back in 2005 – the research had been done and I was even able to lift whole paragraphs of description, which was great!

Then there is a short story I wrote and sold, set during the Gold Rush. Over the years, the characters and setting have kept coming back to me and when that happens, it usually means that, somehow, they will appear in a novel. So that creative work will be recycled too, with the characters and setting already in place.

Recycling old writing is great. It means that some of the work is already done, for a new  project. Plus it is lovely to visit old fictional friends or stories, that no one else had faith in, and incorporate them into something that will have an audience. Over the years your understanding of your craft, and certain themes, will mature an enable you to perhaps take old ideas to a deeper level. A strong theme of my latest novel, The New Beginnings Coffee Club, is about finding yourself, and this was the central subject of another of my rejected books. But that original research, those original thoughts on the subject, of mine, have not been wasted. Years later, I have addressed them again.

So take heart as you build up a pile of those discarded manuscripts (see mine, below). They represent how you are shaping your talent. They represent your journey to success. And the characters, themes and settings within them are not lost thanks to the continuous opportunities to recycle.

1  They become starry-eyed. In awe. I blame JK Rowling for this People imagine red carpet events and sales in the millions. They start inserting complex words into their conversation (that I don’t understand) and talk of the high-falutin’ literary works they read, as if intimidated. So I thank them, but if pressed further, make it clear I’m nothing special. I’m not curing cancer nor have I discovered a new planet. I’m simply lucky enough to be getting paid for an activity I adore.

2  Almost without exception, they declare that they have always thought of writing a novel. This irritates some authors, but not me – as I’ve said above, I’m not exceptional. If I can do it, why not anyone else? I’m a grafter – had to keep my nose to the grindstone during my four years at university, unlike some friends who could socialise as much as they pleased and just cram at the last minute. It’s been the same with writing – I wrote novel after novel at home, for eight years filled with tears and rejection, before landing my publishing deal. So when people react like this I say go for it! You might surprise yourself. Or, you  might discover it is a lot harder than you imagined.

3  Quite often, when people discover my genre – romantic comedy – their awe turns to disdain. And I annoy myself by going on the defensive. I laud Mills & Boon authors who earn more than your average writer could dream of. I explain what a diverse, popular genre it is. I did this recently and received the sneery reply “I’m sure it is”. I imagine, in some circles, actors find this if they tell people they perform in a soap and not on the Shakespearean stage. I’m working on not letting these people press my buttons. Huge skill is required in making prose sound chatty and light. The same prejudice is sometimes shown towards children’s authors. I just have to accept that his is just one small downside to a career I thoroughly enjoy.

4  People say what a difficult job it must be – don’t I ever run out of ideas? I explain my belief that the brain, like any muscle, performs better the more you use it. Before you know it, you automatically take on board inspiration. I used to particularly find this when selling short stories. At the beginning I struggled to write even one. But before my novel deal, I sold 50 in one year. My brain just seemed to adapt to searching out suitable material. What’s more, there are a lot more challenging jobs out there, like nursing or serving burgers and fries all day. So yes, you do require determination and stamina but your passion makes it an easy career to follow.

5  The final reaction – it must be the only job in the world where people feel they have a perfect right to ask how much you earn! Not that this bothers me too much. In fact (just between us) I take a certain pleasure in telling them that most writers never earn enough for it to be their only source of income, and watching their jaws drop! Again, I blame JK Rowling (sorry!) for their misconception that being an author automatically means riches beyond your heart’s desire. If you are lucky, with a decent back catalogue out there, then yes, one day you might earn enough to support a mortgage and family. But don’t count on it. It’s not a profession you enter to become a millionaire.

The Zeitgeist – I am fascinated by what grabs the public’s imagination. With my new summer novel, Breakfast under a Cornish Sun, it was the TV series Poldark. Women across the world seemed enamoured with this programme, especially the lead character. And this got me thinking, what would it feel like to meet your fictional hero in real life? Kate Golightly finds out, in my story, when she heads off to the coast to find her very own mining hero! Likewise, the public’s obsession with Downton inspired my debut novel, Doubting Abbey.

Whereas the inspiration for my Christmas bestseller Mistletoe Mansion was the public’s obsession with celebrities and the gossip magazines featuring them. The main character, Kimmy, lands a house-sitting job in a posh area and becomes friend with a famous person – and discovers that the celebrity life-style isn’t all it’s cracked up to be after all…

Locations – places you have fallen in love with, over the years. For me, obviously rugged, brooding Cornwall. Plus Paris (as in my novel From Paris with Love). I worked there as a young woman and never forgot its romantic, bohemian feel. My honeymoon was on a Greek island. The cheery village feel and stunning sunsets inspired the setting for my award-winning 2015 novel Game of Scones. My novella, How to Get Hitched in Ten Days was set in a fifties diner after I’d eaten in one which blew me away with its fab American memorabilia, and reminded me of the film Grease. So think back over your life and places that have meant something to you. Draw on that passion. The setting doesn’t need to be exotic, just somewhere you can get excited about as a background to your characters’ stories.

The Tabloids/Magazines/Reality shows. Well, they do say life is stranger than fiction! If an article makes you gasp enough to tell your family or friends about it, then that is probably something worth writing down. I founds these forms especially useful when I used to write short stories for women’s magazines. And they don’t need to be the sensational stories – perhaps the heartwarming ones  instead, like communities pulling together to overcome adversity.

People. Keep your eyes and ears open. Tap into conversations you hear in a shop or pub. Speak to people on the till or in a queue. I’m a very chatty person and can’t help but strike up conversations. It is fascinating what people will tell you. I know many of the workers at my local supermarket – the one that plays darts, another who goes camping, the lady whose son has a Masters degree in astronomy, the man who works on local radio… I listen to the ups and downs they go through. I’ve also spoken to fellow customers who are on a health-kick or lonely ones who are widowed… Everyone has a story and are often keen to share it if just prompted by a friendly word or smile.

Moments of emotion – whether that is something sad, moving, hopeful, happy or funny. We all experience these on a day to day basis. Draw on the incidents that really make you feel something and stay in your mind. They could provide material for a plot or character. Keep a record of them in your notebook. Like in the short story I wrote about someone who accidentally poured hollandaise sauce over a pudding, instead of custard – that was based on me and my laidback husband still polished off his dessert! How that had made us laugh. Or the time we got burgled whilst we’d gone on holiday. We’d left the house in a terrible mess. The neighbours thought the criminals were responsible and we didn’t confess it was us. Oops! Cue a few feelings of shame!

Also, don’t be afraid to tap into your own mood when writing. Don’t hold back. I was in a very happy, sunny, shiny place when writing Game of Scones and I think that probably showed. Whereas this year has brought challenges and I think that is reflected in the heartache a couple of characters deal with in Breakfast under a Cornish Sun. So be your own inspiration, because that will mean the writing has real meaning, is heartfelt and true.

Recently, my lovely editor at CarinaUK gave a talk at a book event and tweeted this photo of one of her slides. The line on the left represents how people feel the road to success progresses. The one on the right represents what it actually looks like. And I would definitely say that is true in my experience.

I’ve had a long and rocky road to publication and penned my first novel in 2005. The very first agency I sent it out to was Darley Anderson. It came back with a swift, standard rejection letter (thoroughly deserved). To my disbelief, ten years later, I have just signed with this agency, a moment of success for me. But the line of progress in between those two dates has certainly been squiggly, with ups and downs and moments where I felt I was going around in circles.

Whilst completing a first novel is a huge achievement, it represents the beginning of a long and tough journey only those with a thick skin will complete. I wrote novel after novel that got rejected. Sometimes the line of my progression halted when I declared I’d give up my dream of becoming a published author. Of course, that was like declaring giving up food or water – the compulsion to write is in my bones and I never stopped for longer than a couple of days.

Then in 2011 my line progressed a little further. I sold my first short story to a women’s magazine. I went on to sell over 50 to the People’s Friend. In 2013 publisher Alfie Dog Fiction brought out a collection of my short stories in paperback and Kindle form, called Sweet Talk. That was super-exciting and a huge boost to my confidence and my little line edged a further forwards. I even bagged a great romance agent so, on the surface everything looked like it was going to plan.

However lots of squiggly bits were happening at the same time. I failed to sell more than a couple of stories to Woman’s Weekly, for example and the first novel my agent submitted didn’t find a publisher. Despair set in time and time again. In publishing, I find that highs are often followed by lows and then circles where nothing seems to change for a while and then you might hit another high. The one constant is that words, with hope, continue to be written. Smaller successes become very important such as a lovely comment from a reader or an encouraging line from a publisher who rejected but nevertheless enjoyed your work

And then in 2013 I landed a deal with CarinaUK, thanks to my then-agent and my debut book Doubting Abbey. It got shortlisted for an award. Then my bestselling summer 2015 book Game of Scones actually won an award. For a while the squiggles straightened themselves out which was thrilling for me.

But, of course, my line still isn’t as straight as in the left of that slide screenshot. Some books sell better than others. Bad reviews still come in. I have a long way to go. In my opinion, you are only as good as your next book, not your last. A writer can never, ever become complacent. I am working harder than ever now, with my first novella out on the 11th February, How to Get Hitched in Ten Days. This will be followed by my summer novel Breakfast at Poldark’s in July and after that, who knows…

I guess that means the squiggly bits are important. They prepare you for the lows and make a writer realize that above all, determination and perseverance rule the day. So if you are going through a down or circular bit at the moment, don’t worry. Everyone has been there, it just doesn’t look like it on the surface. Look at all the rock bands who disintegrate and then re-form years later. Or the politicians who fall out of favour but make a comeback. Life is messy – just like squiggles. The important thing is that you are trying, maybe sometimes failing, but picking yourself up, learning and then moving forwards again, even though that may not be in a perfectly straight line.
As Robert H Schuller said:
“Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly.”