I know what you’re thinking – you’re too busy! You don’t have the time to read all the writing tips listed recently at GUARDIAN.CO.UK

So I’ve done the hard work for you – choosing tips that spoke the loudest, that felt the most honest and usable.

Here they are, plucked from lists provided by ten of the hottest writers on the planet:

1. (Rose Tremain) Forget the boring old dictum “write about what you know”. Instead, seek out an unknown yet knowable area of experience that’s going to enhance your understanding of the world and write about that.

2. (Anne Enright) The way to write a book is to actually write a book. A pen is useful, typing is also good. Keep putting words on the page.

3. (Elmore Leonard) Never use a verb other than “said” to carry dialogue. The line of dialogue belongs to the character; the verb is the writer sticking his nose in. But “said” is far less intrusive than “grumbled”, “gasped”, “cautioned”, “lied”. I once noticed Mary McCarthy ending a line of dialogue with “she asseverated” and had to stop reading and go to the dictionary.

4. (Michael Morpurgo) It is the gestation time which counts.

5. (Neil Gaiman) Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.

6. (Ian Rankin) Have a story worth telling.

7. (Margaret Atwood) You most likely need a thesaurus, a rudimentary grammar book, and a grip on reality. This latter means: there’s no free lunch. Writing is work. It’s also gambling. You don’t get a pension plan. Other people can help you a bit, but essentially you’re on your own. Nobody is making you do this: you chose it, so don’t whine.

8. (Sarah Waters) Pace is crucial. Fine writing isn’t enough. Writing students can be great at producing a single page of well-crafted prose; what they sometimes lack is the ability to take the reader on a journey, with all the changes of terrain, speed and mood that a long journey involves.

9. (Jonathan Franzen) Interesting verbs are seldom very interesting.

10. (Andrew Motion) Work hard.

Here’s one more…unnumbered…that I think most of us can relate to: (Philip Pullman) My main rule is to say no to things like this, which tempt me away from my proper work.

But what’s that, you say? You’ve got a writing tip that trumps the ones you’ve just read? Then, by all means, LET’S HEAR IT!

If you’ve got a writing tip the world needs to know, list it below in the comment section!