Every author works differently, some are spontaneous and others plan out every chapter, but what I think is most important is that you stay true to yourself and your story because if you don’t like it, you will not write it well.
- You also need to be prepared for criticism and hate because that naturally comes with anything that you expose to the public.
- Consistency is key if you want your story to succeed, regular updates show readers that you’re a reliable author and are more likely to believe that your story is worth reading because it seems that you will update until completion.
- Try to avoid burning yourself out, time management is important. If you spend too much time writing, this could cause tensions between you and friends/family etc. If you don’t spend enough time writing, you may end up feeling unhappy or behind. It’s best to find a happy median.
- I’m also going to add a suggestion from @sophookles - plan out your branches and write them into a table so you don’t get lost within your own branching (if you want to do branching).
- Avoid really long intros for each chapter… most readers don’t like waiting.
- Have your story proofread and tested before publishing, this is so that your grammar is checked over and your story works/appears fine. It also reduces the chance of editing a published chapter and causing readers to re-read (which also annoys them).
- Engage with your followers.
- Make sure to create diverse characters and do extensive research on topics, cultures, clothing, religions and experiences that you’re unsure of portraying and if you’re still worried - enquire about having sensitivity readers go through your story or ask for the relevant people to help you.