Channeling Sherlock

Dare I admit I've never read Arthur Conan Doyle? I've deduced, however, that his hero Sherlock Holmes is a detective...a superstar investigator that every writer should aspire to be. What am I talking about?

4 Detective Traits a Writer Should Develop

Detectives Are Steady
Persistance and continuity are vital to the writing life. Don't feel like writing today? Too bad. Suck it up and do it anyway. It's not about being inspired, though it is nice when that happens. Writing is first and foremost about parking your rear end in a chair and writing.

Detectives Are Skeptical
Writers should be too. Why? Because you can bet that your readers are. If you're constructing a plot that you think might be a little iffy, designing a character that you suspect might not be fully developed, chances are a reader is going to point those things out in public. Being skeptical about the mechanics of your story up front will save you from embarrassment later on.

Detectives Are Systematic 
Plots are built one step at a time. Characters evolve throughout a story one change at a time. Learning to become systematic with these two key elements separates the wannabe-authors from the published.

Detectives Are Stubborn
Believe me, when you get back your first manuscript dripping red from a critique partner, this is where you find out just what kind of stubborn you are. Either you'll dig in your heels and keep it as is, send it off to publishers, and find out the hard way that it's full of mistakes. Or you'll hunker down and work in as many suggestions on your WIP as possible, which will pay off in the long run.

There you have it. Follow these simple steps and take your writing to a whole new level without even having to purchase a trench coat.