“Write with hope.”

“Hook them, hold them, keep them interested.”
Anthony Horowitz

Our boy Tony is a busy fellow. After a bunch of lackluster books with lackluster sales, he came up with a blockbuster YA winner: the Alex Rider series in which a teen maverick dynamo enjoys James Bond-type adventures and battles bad guys using his wits. And along with his novels, Tony Horowitz has also penned two amazingly popular TV series: Foyle’s War and Midsomer Murders (a big hit with Alex and David at my house).

When he’s not writing, Tony actually seems to enjoy talking about writing. In a short video, he offered his “5 Basic Rules” for pursuing the writer’s life:

1 Write what you want to write: You have to believe in every
word, emotion, and character.

5 Enjoy doing it: After 20 years or so of writing, Tony is still
excited about telling stories.

So often, we get all angsty about what we should or shouldn’t be doing: what will sell, what won’t sell. We start chasing after readers instead of simply writing what we want to write and taking pleasure in our storytelling. These simple, back-to-basics pointers can help keep us grounded and on track. What down-to-earth writing advice have you received that’s really made a difference to you? I’d love to have you share it. Write on!