I would like to share with you a few tips I have learned since I started writing.
Write What You Know
I'm sure this is something you will hear if you ask any author, but I want to take it a step farther. Don't just write what you know, write what you know but nobody talks about. Right now in our town, we are having a bullying problem, and some kids have even taking there lives over it. Even in books, self harm is not a topic you're going to hear very much, which is exactly why I wrote about it in my novel. I don't want to give too much away, but when I write about this sensitive subject, I do my best to expose how much this character is loved and how much hurting herself will hurt the people she loves. I want people to read my book and understand that there lives matter and that people do care.
And that didn't have anything to do with the pain I had caused myself. Mentally, not physically—even though my brakes and scraps were terrible. Seeing those scars on my wrists and knowing I was the one who had caused them, tore me apart.
This doesn't have to been done as a statement or political, but saying something nobody else is, is a great way to get people's attention.
Don't Stress So Much
I promise you there is not a single book out there that does not have at least one typo. Even Harry Potter and Twilight have typos. You should work as hard as you can to catch them all, and editing is very important, but don't let something as simple as a missed comma stop you from living your dream of being a writer. I was so afraid of publishing with mistakes that I didn't publish for years after the book was finished. I edited so many times I lost count. This was a mistake that I wish I hadn't made.
Write What YOU Want
I don't care how many times it's been done, you can always put your own spin on an idea and make it great. I know that mind reading has been done time and time again, but nobody has every done it like me. There are so many ideas out there, you're bound to find someone who has used the same thing you have. That doesn't make your book bad, and it doesn't mean people won't love it even though they have read the idea before. If you have an idea that you love, you should follow that story through no matter what.
I hope that I have given you all some good advice and maybe even put you in the mood to write. I'm more than happy to answer questions you may have and help in any way that I can.