The Accidental Writer: Advice from the Miami Book Fair
I traveled to Miami last weekend with Erynn my daughter and the coauthor of the Chosen series. Wind Catcher won the Gold Medal in the Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards for YA – Coming of Age and the ceremony was in Miami. While in the sunshine state, we spent a few days at the Miami Book Fair.
At the book festival, which was loads of fun, we listened and talked to a few notable authors who shared some advice on writing. Victoria Aveyard, author of the New York Times Bestseller, Red Queen, told a large and enthusiastic crowd that when writing a fantasy novel, it’s important to have one unbelievable element and make the rest of the story make sense in connection to that element. In the case of Red Queen, some people have evolved with super powers.
Joelle Charbbonneau, author of the Testing Series, believes it’s critical for authors to push through the “black hole of death” when writing a manuscript. Don’t stop in the middle when doubts creep in. She implores writers to finish the story. Peter Kujawinski, author of Nightfall, told an audience that all authors should write every day. He thinks that’s the only way to progress and improve on the craft. Becca Fitzpatrick, who pens the Hush, Hush series, remarked that it’s critical for YA authors to connect with their young selves. She uses journals she wrote as a teenager for inspiration.
All the authors talked about the ups and downs of writing. Particularly, the years of rejection they faced before “hitting it big.” They all also mentioned the importance of reading. Writing is an apprenticeship. By reading well-written novels, authors learn the craft. Of course, they were selling books at the fair, but I certainly agree with them!
The second book in the Chosen series was released this Saturday! If you like YA novels, you’ll love this series. Check out Brink of Dawn here – Amazon
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