I've been hearing so much about the Breathless Read Books, so I was super excited to see some of the author at RJ Julia's - an independent bookstore that great the most amazing authors.
Waiting for the authors to arrive!
The Authors:
Jessica Spotswood - Born Wicked
Elizabeth Richards - Black City
Beth Revis - Shades of Earth
Fiona Paul - Venom
Morgan Rhodes - Falling Kingdoms
What I Learned from the Q&A:
Why Write YA:JS: Gone with the Wind made her want to be a writers. YA books are the ones that stayed with her growing up - the ones she read over and over again for comfort. It was a natural fit.
ER: YA is all about firsts!
BR: YA is the beating heart of literature where teens have a passion for life and aren't jaded.
FP: In YA you can mix genres and readers love it
MR: It's a time for self discover and learning what rules are made to be broken.
When did you know you wanted to write?
JS: Started writing at a young age, Gone with the Wind knock offs with strong girl characters - with horses and Yankee boys.
ER: Influenced by J.K. Rowling
BR: Knew she always wanted to write
FP: Wanted to be a lot of things - but found herself reviewing books, the majority were YA - which influenced her to start writing
MR: Read adventure series by Enid Blyton and made up her own stories about the chracters.
What to you do to combat writer's block:
JS: If the character has made a wrong choice, she goes back to the last right choice and rewrites from that point forward. Also she gives herself Care Bear stickers when she reaches a certain goal (I Love this idea!)
ER: Doesn't write in chronological order - but works backwards from a fun scene.
BR: Blows up something or kills off a character
FP: Outlines the book like crazy beforehand - she always writes two books at the same time. When she's stuck on one, she changes books.
MR: Outlines the book prior to writing. If she gets stuck, she eats ice cream.
Tips for Writers:
JS: Write a book for you that you can write - don't be afraid to write for fun and not for publication
BR: Don't give up (Across the Universe was her 11th novel) and write fearlessly
FP: Read! Also don't get discouraged by criticism.
MR: Trust your gut and find your own twist on an idea.
Books I've Read and Reviewed:
Venom
Falling Kingdoms
Not on the East Coast Tour...but still Breathless Reads
Origin
Prodigy (halfway through so far - review coming soon)
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