As summer approaches, we all like playing games and having fun, and authors are no exceptions. In the interest of having fun while also sharing useful information about writing, publishing, and (best of all) NEW BOOKS I’ll be running a series of mini-interviews with groups of published authors throughout the summer.
I asked each author to answer the questions below in one sentence or less–let’s see their answers:
What is the most important piece of writing advice you would give a debut novelist?
Don’t get so stressed and wrapped up in the logistics that you forget to savor the fulfillment of your dream. — Anna Lee Huber, author of the Lady Darby Mysteries.
Finish the damn book. — Kerry Schafer, author of The Books of The Between.
Write the next book now. — Lori Rader-Day, author of The Black Hour
Give yourself permission to suck; fix it later. — Delilah S. Dawson, author of the Blud series and the upcoming YA Servants of the Storm
When It comes to marketing/self-promotion, say “yes” to everything that comes your way. — Lisa Alber, author of Kilmoon, A County Clare Mystery
Write the book you want to read. — Jennifer Delamere, author of An Heiress at Heart
Show your work to trusted and honest critique partners. — Jennifer Laam, author of The Secret Daughter of the Tsar
Begin writing for yourself, not for publication. — Dana Gynther, Author of Crossing on the Paris
Trust yourself and your instincts about what you’re writing. — Jessica Brockmole, author of Letters From Skye
Write the book you can love and happily talk about for years. — Hazel Gaynor, author of The Girl Who Came Home
Rejections sting, but learn from them and never give up, you’re dream might be right around the corner. — Brenda Drake, author of Library Jumpers (releasing in 2015)
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What lesson did you learn from your debut novel that helped (or is helping) you write your second book?
Trust yourself – you’ve done it once, you can do it again. — Anna Lee Huber, author of the Lady Darby Mysteries.
The magic happens in the rewrites. — Kerry Schafer, author of The Books of The Between.
Leave time for rewrites. — Lori Rader-Day, author of The Black Hour
Edit letters = you’ll go through the stages of depression and eventually come around to acceptance. — Delilah S. Dawson, author of the Blud series and the upcoming YA Servants of the Storm
Where to begin the story, using “en media res.” — Lisa Alber, author of Kilmoon, A County Clare Mystery
Better time management and estimating how long it will take me to complete a project. — Jennifer Delamere, author of An Heiress at Heart
Keep ideas organized and a notebook accessible at all times because inspiration will strike when you least expect it. — Jennifer Laam, author of The Secret Daughter of the Tsar
Editors are your allies. — Dana Gynther, Author of Crossing on the Paris
Be patient with revisions; sometimes the story just isn’t ready to be finished. — Jessica Brockmole, author of Letters From Skye
The ‘real’ writing happens in rewrites and edits. — Hazel Gaynor, author of The Girl Who Came Home
Take really good notes while writing book one in a series, you’ll need them while writing book two. — Brenda Drake, author of Library Jumpers (releasing in 2015)
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What one book (other than your own) do you think readers SHOULD NOT MISS this summer?
GRAND CENTRAL ANTHOLOGY — Anna Lee Huber, author of the Lady Darby Mysteries.
A WISP OF A THING, by Alex Bledsoe — Kerry Schafer, author of The Books of The Between.
THE DEVIL IN THE MARSHALSEA by Antonia Hodgson. — Lori Rader-Day, author of The Black Hour
WE WERE LIARS by E. Lockhart just kicked my heart’s ass. — Delilah S. Dawson, author of the Blud series and the upcoming YA Servants of the Storm
Amazing French thriller writer, SYNDROME E. by Franck Thilliez — Lisa Alber, author of Kilmoon, A County Clare Mystery
In honor of Mary Stewart (who died recently), read (or re-read) THIS ROUGH MAGIC. — Jennifer Delamere, author of An Heiress at Heart
I can’t wait to read the latest from Lisa See: CHINA DOLLS. — Jennifer Laam, author of The Secret Daughter of the Tsar
THE GOLDFINCH by Donna Tartt — Dana Gynther, Author of Crossing on the Paris
ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doerr — Jessica Brockmole, author of Letters From Skye
WILD by Cheryl Strayed, before the movie comes out this fall! — Hazel Gaynor, author of The Girl Who Came Home
SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY by Julie Murphy. — Brenda Drake, author of Library Jumpers (releasing in 2015)
Thank you so much to Anna, Kerry, Lori, Delilah, Lisa, Jennifer, Dana, Jessica, Hazel and Brenda for playing along today! I’ll have another installment of summer mini-interviews coming soon.
And now, it’s your turn! If you’ve written a novel (or just like to read them) I’d love to hear your answers to these questions in the comments!
Tell a good story that would keep you from putting
the book down. Write a novel you would love to read!