If you love writing don’t give up on it. The people who rise to the top in this industry are not necessarily the most talented; they are the ones who work their butts off and don’t give up. They see obstacles not as dead ends, but as challenges.
Viewing entries tagged
YA
Breathe, enjoy it. You’re chasing a dream and whether you’re in the valley or the mountaintop, being a dream chaser makes you the luckiest person in the world.
Stop worrying about grammar and spelling and finding the perfect synonym. That’s what editing is for. Allow yourself to write badly the first time around. Nobody writes a best-selling, awarding-winning novel on the first try.
I’ve trained my body to need writing the way it needs oxygen, so the knot in my stomach and the burning sensation to set fingers to keys is motivation enough. Is it healthy? Probably not.
You need to celebrate the small wins, like an agent request or personalized feedback from an editor, because that really carries you through the constant rejection.
YA author Jennifer DiGiovanni thrives on a challenge; from taking up a new hobby (under the guise of book research), to running a small business and co-writing a book with a friend. We talk to her about finding the best time of day to write, seeking out writing mentors and her ‘soft’ approach to book marketing.
Write for yourself. If you are writing the book you want to read that passion will shine through and it will help you stay motivated to get the writing done.
Briana Morgan is a YA horror and fantasy writer, playwright and freelance editor. She loves dark, suspenseful reads with angst-ridden relationships and complicated characters. We caught up with her to talk about the comparison trap, counterintuitive book marketing tactics and the surreal experience of having her play brought to life.
Keep writing! Rewrite and edit and write a dozen more stories on top of it all. There’s honestly no better way to improve than to practice. It isn’t a fast process, but it doesn’t have to be! Just write and then write some more.
Australian author C. G. Drews grew up surrounded by books, so it was only natural that she would eventually want to write her own. With her debut novel launching last month we caught up with her to talk about breaking into the online writer community, self-doubt and how rejection makes her consider a career in cake testing.
Keep going. I think sometimes it can be easy to get stuck. I felt that way when I was revising and revising my first book. It helped to work on something new.
A third-generation native Arizonan, YA author Kelly deVos writes about strong, capable, feminist heroines. Following the success of her debut YA novel we catch up to talk about confidence, how she made the journey back to writing and making ALL the querying mistakes.
At one point I thought I would never be an author. It was my dream, but I doubted I’d ever achieve it. But then I got serious. I turned my dream into a plan, and my plan into a goal, and now I’ve written five novels. You can do this – just believe in yourself, and never give up.
Natalia Leigh almost gave up writing after a crushing rejection from her writing professor. Her determination severely tested, she persevered eventually publishing her first YA novel. She swings by WildMind Creative today to talk about overcoming rejection, establishing a writing routine that works for you and making book marketing fun.
Do a lot of research. If there’s one thing I knew when I decided to go the indie publishing route it’s that I didn’t know much and had to learn how to do it. Get advice, read books and take advantage of services that are available.
YA romance writer Alia Rose is an indie author by night and full-time architectural designer by day. With her debut novel, My Lullaby of You released in June we catch up with her to talk about being guided by your ‘why’, her favorite book marketing methods and the beauty of to-do lists.
Finish your story. First drafts can be defeating, but you need to hang in through the slog. Keep writing and pushing through until you can write 'The End'.
A lover of storytelling from a young age author Amy Trueblood fell in love with the world of publishing and writing after reading an advanced reading copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Now working on her second YA novel, we caught up with Amy to chat about her publishing journey and the joy of finding untold stories in history.
Don’t be afraid to write crap. We all do it, and it’s always a weird, somewhat painful process but that’s how you learn and how you get better.
Michigan-based YA author Kim Chance didn’t always know she was meant to be a writer but once she put pen to paper she found she couldn’t stop. We chat with her about how to make your debut novel release a success, improving your writing and the role of literary agents.
I’ve come close to giving up many times because making it as a writer isn’t easy, but persistence is key. If I gave up when things got hard or when it was getting harder and harder to find new readers, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Mandi Lynn started writing her first novel at thirteen, and at the young age of seventeen, Essence, hit the press. Now working on her third novel, she joins WildMind Creative to talk about about finding your writer tribe through social media, perseverance and dreaming big.
It’s so easy to get caught up in everyone’s highlight reels on social media and to feel like you’re not good enough, you’re not doing enough, you should be marketing more, you should be writing more, you should be editing more . . . Trust me when I say that YOU ARE DOING ENOUGH. YOU ARE ENOUGH. Don’t compare your journey with anyone else’s because it’s supposed to be unique and beautiful to you. Don’t rob yourself of that experience. Please. It’s one of the best ones you’ll ever have, I promise.
Words of inspiration from Kristen Martin, best-selling indie author, YouTuber, podcaster and writing coach. We chat to Kristen about individuality in the creative process, incorporating book marketing into your daily routine and her top tips for reaching more readers.
Write about your experiences. Write about your dreams. Write about unforgettable moments. Embed a piece of yourself in your story to make it authentic. Make it real. Channel your emotions into writing to create something that is completely and utterly you.
Canadian teen fiction author Christine Rees on how music has inspired her writing journey, networking and utilizing the book marketing resources you have on hand and the need to be completely authentic in your work.
There is always a way. If one publishing path doesn’t work out, brainstorm and strategize other options, revise your work, and try again. The word no is subjective. Someone will eventually tell you yes.
With her third YA novel just days away from launch we chat to Nashville-based Caroline George about life as inspiration, how an extrovert handles the isolation of writing and her top two secrets for book marketing success.
It had come out that the publisher was underpaying and sometimes not paying its authors. No one had received any word from the publisher’s owner in several months. The co-owner disappeared. Less than six weeks after my first published story, the publisher’s website had been removed. The story was taken down. I would neither know how many copies I sold nor receive any payments for those copies
Speculative fiction author Cherie Reich shares the harrowing story of her first publishing experience. An event, while crippling, ultimately strengthened her resolve to continue writing and become a published author.
You can't please everyone. Everyone has different tastes; that's what makes the world an interesting place.
Alice Rachel, author of the Under Ground series, is a native French writer now based in the United States. She discusses the value of writing for yourself first, how imperfect characters bring a story to life and the need to be authentic.
It wasn’t until my early twenties that I stopped saying “I can’t” and started doing it. I have been writing with fervent passion ever since. Sometimes we are the biggest thing holding ourselves back.
As a child, Jennifer Wilson loved stories but struggled with reading. She was a painfully slow reader and had issues with dyslexia. It wasn't until in her mid-teens, when a persistent friend convinced her to read the Harry Potter series, that Jennifer found her love for the written word. She is now the author of the New World series, a dystopian YA tale, with the third novel due for release later this year.
‘Don’t let fear hold you back. I was petrified I would never be worthy. I would never write anything worth reading. Now I know none of that matters.’
Western Australian author Nadia L King on overcoming self-doubt, the importance of patience in the editing process and carving out time for writing.