1. Read.
Reading and writing goes hand in hand and there’s a reason for that. You can’t be a writer without being a reader. This does not mean you have to read dozens of books month but it will really improve your writing if you read a few here and there, both inside the genre you write and outside of that too.
2. Discover your own voice
Every writer has a voice. Something that makes their books unique. It’s your personal style, tone and/or unique spin in your stories. You may already have a voice and not realise it. But understanding your voice and what you want to convey in your books will help you and your writing in the future.
3. Take a writing course
This could be something as big as a degree or master’s in writing or it could be a day course or even a few hours. Either way, courses can help you with inspiration but also feedback, which will help you improve your writing over time. It’ll also help you think outside the box and write something you’re not used to.
4. Become friends with other writers
There are many reasons why being friends with other writers is a good idea, but in terms of becoming a better writer, they can help read your work and suggest how to improve. They can also blurb your work, leave reviews, and help with promotion, which in turn you can do for them.
5. Read your work out loud (or let your computer read it for you)
You should always proofread your work several times, but I would also suggest reading it out loud or letting your computer read it aloud for you. Grammar and other spelling mistakes are easily missed when only reading your work in your head. By reading aloud, you’ll vastly improve and cut down on your editing time.
6. Set goals and/or challenges
When I say this, I don’t mean restrictive goals. I always mean goals you believe are achievable. Such as finishing your first draft within 4-6 months. You need to consider the time of year, other responsibilities in your life, and other out of the blue possibilities. As for challenges, there’s lots out there that can help you write faster or just inspire you to write a little something every day. Or, you could do what I do, which is make up your own challenges and try to get others to join.
7. Try being both a plotter and pantser
You likely gravitate towards one already. You either heavily plan out your book, chapter by chapter, or have a rough idea of what the book is and just dive in. Either way, I recommend trying both, as while you may gravitate towards one, you may find the other way works better.
8. Write and/or plan everyday*
This does not mean you have to sit in front of a computer or notepad every day. Sometimes, just planning in your head works wonders for your writing. What I like to do is, using my notes app on my phone, I will replay scenes from my book in my head and, if anything needs changing or improving, I’ll type a quick note for myself for when I open my book again. If you’d like to write every day, I’d recommend giving yourself a small goal so this is achievable.
9. Only except the advice that works for you
There are hundreds of blogs out there, countless books, and interviews with writing advice. All of it is great advice, but that doesn’t necessarily mean all of it will work for you. My advice is to try everything and keep what works and ditch what doesn’t (which, in turn, means that you don’t have to accept this bit of advice I’m giving you right now!)
10. Tailor writing to fit your lifestyle
There are lots of different ways to write. There’s 5am writer’s club, there’s writing at a specific time of day, there’s writing sprints, and more. And then, there’s you, and what is going to work for you. You can, of course, choose one of the different ways to write that’s already documented out there or do what works for you. Someone people release several books a year, some only one, and some release a book every ten years – there is no set timeline. There is only your timeline.
Lakegrave School for Young Women Lauren Carter
Genre: Horror, Dark Academia, Historical Fiction
Date of Publication: 9th September 2025
ISBN: 9781739376444
ASIN: B0F74BRMC3
Number of pages: 237
Word Count: 54k words
Cover Artist: Grim Poppy Designs
Tagline: Lakegrave is unlike any other school
Book Description:
Here, we do not care where you are from or who you are. We care that you are women. And we care about your minds.
Lakegrave is unlike any other school. Hidden in the mountains of Scotland, it only accepts one bright woman per specialist subject. With no teachers and no curriculum, the self-taught establishment offers its students the tools to expand their skillsets to then go onto being masters in their fields.
When Raven and her cousin Rowan are accepted, they are excited to refine their crafts and converse with fellow classmates.
That is until students go missing.
Some come back but they are not as they once were. Something is off about them.
Something is misplaced.
So when fellow student Esme wants to investigate and invites Raven to join, they uncover that there’s much more to the school than they thought with chilling secrets kept tucked away in its history. But with ghosts stirring and the cohort decreasing, will any of them make it to graduation?
Excerpt:
There
isn’t much known about Lakegrave School for Young Women due to its remote
location and it being a new school, but it is the only school in the world
known for its unique education style—it’s completely self-taught. There are no
teachers, just one headmistress. The school only invites the best and brightest
women from across the globe to study there for one year before being scouted to
go on to their dream careers. This didn’t mean smart in absolutely everything
but a genius in our own field.
That
is the other unique thing—it also only invites one person per specialist
subject.
That’s
why Rowan and I were lucky enough to be accepted. Rowan is only just old enough
to attend at one and twenty years of age; I, on the other hand, have two years
on her. Luck was also on our side when we were encouraged to pursue different
hobbies instead of the same, otherwise we wouldn’t have been accepted
concurrently.
Leading
up to the school, I can only make out the tops of the building as the hedge has
overgrown so much. It’s as if the place has been neglected over the summer, if
not over the years. Such an odd notion for a new educational establishment but,
then again, it was something else before.
I
reach the main gate and see a crest at the top. In the middle, there is a sprig
of lavender and on each side of the shield are bees facing inward. This looks
like it’s been cleaned recently.
Couldn’t
say the same for the rest of the gate.
It
looks like it once was black, but it is brown now due to the rust. I don’t want
to touch it, so I nudge it open with my elbow and shut it again once I’m in.
It’s
called a school, but it would be better off compared to a castle, just like
every other boarding school that exists. The windows stretch tall and look like
they are modelled after a church. Although it is a fairly new build, its
appearance is like it has been designed as old-fashioned on purpose, fitting in
with something from the 1600s rather than the 1800s. And it almost looks like
it’s falling apart, the brickwork cracked and turning the walls into a darker
colour rather than its usual sand. It is preposterously big for a school that
doesn’t admit too many students. There is definitely some sort of beauty to the
building but for some reason, even in the daytime, it appears a little
ominous—as if the place is lifeless. It seems as though the garden has
overtaken everything as greenery and moss is growing alongside the building. To
the west of the school there are some greenhouses and to the east of the school
is a church.
The
ground crunches as I walk up to the building. There is a huge fountain which is
bordered by the driveway on either side but appears not to work, and a huge
statue coming out from the middle of it. I’m not that knowledgeable about Greek
gods but I know it’s Aphrodite.
It
seems fitting to have her standing guard over us.
I
pause by the front door, already hearing voices coming from within, so I grip
my violin case tighter and push the double doors inwards—letting them shut me
away for the next year.
About the Author: 
Lauren (she/they) is a library assistant by day and writer by night. She is the author of WHEN THE DEMONS TAKE HOLD and YOUR DARLING DEATH. She has published several short stories including: ALIVE, JUST with The Horror Tree, THE CHILDREN OF OWL WILDS with Haunted Words Press, and THE SACRIFICES WE MAKE with Rooster Republic Press.
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