The Writing Life: Mistakes to Avoid - Winning Awards

As Mr Baskerville's reader may recall, he is writing a series of helpful posts for writers.

Writers! Simply avoid doing anything Mr Baskerville has done in his own writing process, and your success is guaranteed.*

Daydreaming

It's a well-known fact that writers love to daydream.

While at work, writers daydream about being able to write all day at home, sipping the beverage of their choice (from a pint glass, naturally, as this is more efficient) and tapping lovingly on the keyboard as thousands of words per day flow from their fertile imagination.

And when they are at home, writers daydream about winning awards, topping bestseller lists, and being able to purchase their own castle with wine cellar/moat.

Mr Baskerville has whiled away many a happy hour at his desk, planning his future. You can learn from his mistakes, dear reader! Do not outline a future of acceptance speeches and swanky nightclubs** but instead outline your novel. Do not dream about chatting to Jon Stewart***, but chat to your characters instead.

Talk back

Mr Baskerville has another warning here. Yes, chat to your characters to understand their motivations, flesh out their backstory, and learn their history but do not chat to your characters in order to learn their drink preferences, their TV preferences, and their favourite positions in bed. You will end up accidentally writing pron.

*This is a lie. Please don't sue him.
**For reasons best unexplained, Mr Baskerville is always wearing sequinned outfits.
***Even Mr Baskerville is aware that Jon has left the Daily Show, but what the hell, this is his daydream, OK? And don't tell anyone, but sometimes Mr B daydreams about appearing on Ellen.