Description is hard. Remember that all description is an opinion about the world. Find a place to stand. (Anne Enright)

Do keep a thesaurus, but in the shed at the back of the garden or behind the fridge, somewhere that demands travel or effort. Chances are the words that come into your head will do fine, eg “horse”, “ran”, “said”. (Roddy Doyle)

Take a pencil to write with on aeroplanes. Pens leak. But if the pencil breaks, you can’t sharpen it on the plane, because you can’t take knives with you. Therefore: take two pencils. (Margaret Atwood)

Writers’ Rules collects the wisdom of over twenty hugely successful authors, providing an inspiring and encouraging guide for any aspiring writer.