"To love another person is to see the face of God."

My name is Cecilia, Cece for short. I am 24 years old, and an Assistant Psychologist in the North East of England.

Reading and writing are hugely important parts of my life. As a healthcare professional, I rely on a sound knowledge of the English Language. As someone with a vivid imagination and an adoration of story-telling, books were the friends I didn't have. The trilogy I write about on here, The Black Magician Trilogy, has been in my life now for ten years. I fell in love with it at first sight, and have read it over and over. Now I am older, I am still constantly reading, though a lot of what I have to read isn't fiction. I enjoy writing as a creative outlet- as a full time scientist, sometimes it feels like we don't get to be creative!

I have been asked before now on tips on writing, and, more specifically, how to keep up a fanfiction. How many fics on here have been left unfinished and on cliffhangers? Annoying, right?! So, here are my tips for writing good, finishable stories:

1) Plan- plan and plan and plan some more. Work out exactly how your work is going to pan out. You don't need to have all the details, but before you start on a chapter, the basics for your next chapter should be in place- who's going to be in it? What are they doing? What will be the point of the chapter? Even the best writers get caught by realising they have hit a brick wall- for example, did you know JK Rowling had serious writer's block when writing The Order of the Phoenix? True story. If you plan, you reduce the possibility of that happening. Use your imagination- spend time thinking about what you want your story to do. This is particularly important for fanfiction- the story has already been written, so that is the purpose of your story? What are trying to accomplish? I personally hate rehashes of the same story- like, why do I want to read this? I already bought the book! Spend time thinking through the "unique selling point" of your story, it's really worth investing in. Remember- LONG stories (like the ones I tell) cannot be attempted without some form of plan. I can always tell when a writer has no clue where they are going and how they are tie everything up, and I bet you can to. Don't be that writer.

2) Work out what you personally are good at as a writer. Know yourself, be honest with yourself. Personally, I am terrible at writing realistic descriptions, but am more skilled at narration. No two writers are the same, so you will have a skills set that is uniquely yours, embrace it and use it. Work out what your skills are, and harness them into good story writing. If you lack a skill that is a basic necessity to writing (such as dialogue), then head over to step three to learn how to get better...

And, finally, 3) READ. If you want to master language, you have to study it first. I read everything, from Austen to scientific journals to the The Guardian, and back to JK Rowling. Read good books, read bad books. Work out what makes the difference between them for you. Read out of your comfort zone. Read things you know will infuriate you. Remember- not everyone will like your style, and that's okay, writing is a very subjective art. But you only learn about your writing through reading others.

At the end of it all, I believe a good story writes itself, given a good imagination and a strong willpower to get it written. I sit down at my laptop, and most of the time, the words come flooding out. Once you start doing all of the above, it will for you too.

It may help to think about it like this, a quote from my favourite novel: "A new chapter in a novel is something like a new scene in a play; and when I draw up the curtain this time, reader, you must fancy you see..." The end of the chapter is like the curtain going down- what impression do you want to leave the audience with? What reason have you given them to come back again?

I love all feedback (good and bad), questions and comments, so please send them my way. I will get back to you as soon as I can!

I am also happy to proofread people's work if they want- I am a native English speaker, so am happy to point you in the right direction nuance-wise :)

My favourite books which I recommend to EVERYONE:

1) Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte- The ultimate book, in my opinion. Ghosts, feminist-socialist rants, a brooding love interest and a meaty discussion of good and evil. What more could you possibly need in a book? It is so good, it has inspired other books. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys and Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier are effectively Jane Eyre fanfictions, haha! (And don't let anyone tell you Wuthering Heights is better. It isn't.)

2) A Little Princess, Frances Hogson Burnett- The ultimate children's book, but don't let that put you off. If you want to learn how to be a good person in the face of utter adversity, then read this book. It makes me cry every time.

3) Emma, Jane Austen- I love every Austen novel, but Emma is my favourite. Emma is the most relatable of all Austen's heroines, at least to me! Loveable, intelligent, but inherently flawed. Just like me ;)

4) North & South, Elizabeth Gaskell- A gritty Pride & Prejudice style story set against the backdrop of the Victorian industrial revolution. But it is a lot darker with an added socialist twist. Think of it as Jane Austen on acid. Are you seeing a patten yet? ;)

5) Me Before You, Jojo Moyes- The only modern book in this collection! A bravely honest book that explores voluntary euthanasia. I know, it sounds absolutely ghastly, but it will make you laugh, cry and fall in love all in one. A book that will stand the test of time, I am sure.