Being a writer isn’t something that happens overnight – it takes a lot of time, work and effort to get to where you want to be. It isn’t easy, and sometimes it seems like a never ending road without recognition. You need to be patient and strong, and never give up hope no matter what. Writing can be tough, but it’s also one of the most exciting and liberating things we can do in our lives.
These writers and authors offer advice for any aspiring writers hoping to make a name for themselves in the industry.
“Advice to future writers? WRITE. Do it for the right reasons though. Do it because you can’t imagine NOT doing it. Not for the money. Not for the fame. Not for any reason other than you have a story burning you up inside that needs to get out. You’ll know if it’s the right thing for you or not, because nothing will make you feel the way following your heart will.” – J. Sterling
J. Sterling is a New York bestselling author who gives us the most heart-filling and heartbreaking love stories, including The Perfect Game series and the Heartless trilogy. After being fired from her last job, Sterling started writing stories and found it to be something that meant more to her than anything else she ever worked as and now has millions of copies of her books sold worldwide. (See here for a previous interview with Sterling).
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“My advice for aspiring writers is read some poetry, it really helps with rhythm and imagery. And don’t give up! I know too many talented writers who give up at the first hurdle.” – Tracy Buchanan
Tracy Buchanan is a web journalist and producer living in Milton Keynes, England, with her husband, their little girl and companion Jack Russell. Whilst working as a travel magazine editor, she travelled extensively, sating the wanderlust she developed as a young girl listening to her grandparents stories – the very wanderlust that’s now found in her books such as The Atlas of Us. (See here for a previous interview with Buchanan).
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“Advice for aspiring writers: read a lot, write a lot, study the craft of writing. My favorite craft book is John Truby‘s Anatomy of a Story. My favorite online writing classes are by Margie Lawson.
On a personal note–writing is hard and it is personal. Publishing can be a tough and brutal industry. I suggest finding your happy place early on and I don’t suggest that your happy place be caught up in the success in being published. Writing is often my happy place, but sometimes it’s also a source of frustration. I’m suggesting that any aspiring writer makes sure that they find inner peace in something other than writing before your book gets published.” – Katie McGarry
Katie McGarry is a Young Adult fiction writer who has been teaching us to always have hope even through the darkest of times in her books such as her pervious Pushing The Limits series and her newest Thunder Road series. She was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as both the best and worst of her life. She likes to tackle stereotypes in her writing as well as including a deeper inner message in her books. (See here for a previous interview with McGarry).
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“I try not to give advice because everyone writes differently and what works for one might not work for another. But I do like to say write, write, write and read, read, read because those things can never steer you wrong.” – Kasie West
Kasie West lives in central California with her family, where the heat tries to kill her with its 115-degree stretches. She graduated from Fresno State University with a BA degree separate from her writing. She is the mother of her three daughters and son. Her books include, The Distance Between Us and The Fill-In Boyfriend. (See here for a previous interview with West).
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“Read! Read books that make you feel alive, books you do not want to put down. Your passion for reading will fuel your passion for writing. Turn waiting time into reading time by taking a book with you everywhere. Read while you are in line, on the bus, or waiting for a friend. The more you read, the better your writing will become.” -Susane Colasanti
Susane Colasanti became a full time author in 2007, and before that she was a high school science teacher for ten years. She currently lives in New York city with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree from New York University. Susane Colasanti is the bestselling author of When It Happens and the City Love trilogy with her newest novel, book two of the City Love trilogy, Lost in Love, due to be released this May. (See here for a previous interview with Colasanti).
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