Between them, they have sold over 27 million copies worldwide, and now David Nicholls, Richard Osman, and Matt Haig are giving aspiring authors their best writing tips.
One of the biggest struggles for writers isn’t the writing itself; it’s the “not knowing where to start” or not having the confidence to put yourself out there. But, maybe after this read, you can relish in knowing that some of your favorite authors had the same concerns and insecurities at the start of their journey. And, well, look at them now…
1. Inspiration
The first part of writing is finding inspiration for a story. Many authors use insights from their own lives, and these three best-selling writers are no different.
Richard Osman said at the Cheltenham Literature Festival: “I love writing about what happened yesterday, so you’ll all be in the next scene. Unfortunately, some of you may get murdered [in the plot.]”
A lot of inspiration also comes from the content you read, which reflects your personal interests. Osman stated, “I write crime because I read it. I like the rules.” Though most people find rules restricting, Osman derives comfort from them and even views them as “freeing.”
The process is slightly different for Matt Haig, but he still follows the same concept. In his new book The Life Impossible, the main character Grace is based loosely on Haig himself. He explained, “They say write about what you know. I just had a varicose vein operation and afterward, they give you stockings. It had been a week of pulling them up and down slowly, and I thought, ‘I know what it’s like to be 72.'” Maybe Haig didn’t know quite what it meant to be 72, but he drew from his own life experiences to build his characters.
For David Nicholls, inspiration can be found in the most mundane aspects of life. He discussed how he used to go on walks with his family until his kids didn’t want to anymore. He said, “There was always something better happening at home. So I started going alone, rather sheepishly at first, and thought there is a nonfiction book in that.” His most recent book You Are Here is based on this premise.
Nicholls had already told numerous stories about people meeting in their 20s, such as One Day. His new novel allowed him to explore a reality where you aren’t achieving what’s expected of you. As a reference to his own age, he said, “There’s still a love story in your 50s.”
Incorporating Mental Health Into Novels
Haig also brings his neurodiversity and mental health journey into his writing, sometimes with intention and other times subconsciously. He said, “I like to write realistic until it becomes a zombie apocalypse in a post office. I think because I write nonfiction too I want the fiction to be fiction. So I really go for it. But I like relatable characters and outsiders that don’t know the rules of society, or do but find it hard.” He added as an afterthought, “Looking back this could be a neurodivergent trait.”
Even though life experience is a major aspect of inspiration, imagination makes up the rest. Nicholls said, “Writers draw from experience but it’s not based entirely on you. It’s the same as how actors can play Macbeth without actually killing someone.”
2. Getting Started
After you have gained the motivation to write a story, sometimes the hardest part is getting started. You may already have the idea but need a push to get you to put pen on paper. Richard Osman shared that there’s never been a week where he hasn’t written.
“I once wrote 80,000 words on biscuits and thought ‘maybe you could put this to better use my friend.’ That’s when I had the idea for Thursday Murder Club and thought I could do it, I’ve already written 80,000 words.”
Richard Osman, Cheltenham Literature Festival
But like with all things, success doesn’t always come straight away. Matt Haig admitted his first book “wasn’t read by many.”
3. Find Your Own Voice
In an era where between 500,000 to one million books are published every year (according to TonerBuzz), it is vital to set your novel apart from the rest by having a unique perspective.
Matt Haig confirmed this after a failed attempt at writing in a different style. He said, “I tried being high-brow like Ian McEwan and it didn’t work. Don’t worry if you don’t sound like someone else, that’s the whole point.”
Sometimes, though, it is good to branch out of your comfort zone. Writing isn’t always about staying inside the perception of yourself that others may have. David Nicholls revealed that he once overheard people talking about his book: “Someone…said you don’t read David Nicholls for the sex… so while writing a scene [in his new book] I thought hmm let’s see about that!” And, needless to say, he did receive a positive reaction, although it was still written in his signature humorous style!
Nicholls has expressed that the constant undercurrent of comedy within his novels is something that he couldn’t write without: “There’s something artificial in me not telling jokes along the way.” However, in real life, Nicholls claims that he isn’t as funny as his readers may believe. According to him, “Writing comedy is different. You do it in slow motion and you have longer to write than you do to say it out loud. When telling jokes in real life at dinner parties, everyone sort of goes ‘Oh God,’ I’m definitely better at writing them. I cannot recall a single instance of making my siblings laugh!”
4. Accessibility
Myriad authors write sentences containing long, overcomplicated words, but journalists will tell you that there is power in using simple language. Short and easy-to-understand words ensure accessibility to readers of different abilities. Matt Haig agrees with this; when asked on the spot, he said that his favorite words were “love”, “home,” and “sky.” He then conveyed his reasoning: “We don’t value simple words enough and they have powerful meanings.”
For a similar reason, Richard Osman enjoys creating relatable characters. To him, there is something fascinating about being ordinary and doing mundane things. It’s something we all have in common, and he strives to incorporate it into his characters. It is also how he humanizes the “baddies” in his books.
4. Writing Evergreen Content vs. Trending Content
As more and more books are published every year, some novels are forgotten about. This could be due to the publication of “easy-read” books and trending content. BookTok has seen novels like Ice Breaker skyrocket to fame, but will this sensational book still be as popular in a hundred years’ time?
That is the difference between written work that is evergreen versus trending. Novels like Little Women, Pride and Prejudice, Frankenstein, and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes remain widely read, despite several decades passing since their original publishing. Conversely, BookTok novels seem to be rising in and out of fame, the same way that fashion trends do.
While writers that reflect on significant time periods — such as World War II, or the rise of the American Dream — tend to stay relevant, certain satirical remarks about political events may go unnoticed. For instance, David Nicholls noted how some aspects of his earlier novels were not very long-lasting. Humiliation is a key theme in his work because of its former status as a “primary part of comedy” about 15 years ago. During that time, sitcoms like The Office were being aired. Yet, over the years, this type of comedy has fizzled out. As a result, Nicholls regrets incorporating it into his work. He said, “It’s something I’m not a huge fan of in my first two books.” Now, he tends not to do it so much anymore.
5. Brutal Truths
One of the first things you learn while writing is that you can’t lie to yourself. Being honest from the start will allow the writing process to go faster. Sometimes, that means acknowledging that you are going through writer’s block. Other times it means recognizing that your idea wasn’t as strong as you thought or that the storyline doesn’t quite flow.
One of Richard Osman’s brutal truths was that “you can’t write the thing you would love to write because you will always fail.” This sounds extremely harsh but references the fact that you will inevitably be a perfectionist about the things you truly love. Therefore, you will always see areas where there is room for improvement, despite others deeming them to be perfect. Perfectionism can be your greatest ally — pushing you to produce great work — but also your biggest enemy, never giving you a break.
Similar to how TripAdvisor is the go-to site for checking out reliable places to stay on holiday, GoodReads has become the spot for readers to determine whether a book is worth reading. An abundance of authors have noticed the app’s growing popularity. Matt Haig admitted that he often ends up down a rabbit hole when reading reviews people have left on his novels. For Haig, no matter how many positive five-star reviews he receives, seeing a one-star or a negative comment can be discouraging. He concluded, “You have to suffer with self-doubt, it’s how you edit. You need slight arrogance and slight doubt.”
6. Trust The Process
Once you’ve written the story and have finished your inevitable “am-I-even-a-good-writer?” meltdown, it’s time to edit, re-draft, find an agent, send it off, and publish it. Granted, it’s not quite as easy as it sounds. Osman’s biggest tip when it comes to trusting the process is to “get it done and then make it look like a writer has done it.”
He believes the problem most writers have is that they “keep going over the same part at the beginning.” You have to realize the first draft isn’t going to be perfect; it will have plot holes, mistakes, grammar issues, and cliches. But you can’t stay stuck on one section; otherwise, you’ll never finish the story! Go back to the next draft to make it better.
You may even find that the editing process takes longer than the writing process. Some authors, like David Nicholls, write many drafts before the final copy is produced. Nicholls said that on average he plots a story for 12 to 18 months before he starts writing. The writing then takes him around nine months. He will have a notebook of ideas that he scribbles on in the middle of the night and an official “novel” document. He will send off multiple drafts to his editors. In total, the entire operation could take him five whole years and “at least seven drafts!”
