A couple of weeks ago I saw the Smart Chicks Kick It Tour when it came through Scottsdale, AZ. That night, the lineup was Melissa Marr, Alyson Noel, Kelley Armstrong, Holly Black, Sarah Rees Brennan & Kimberly Derting.
The auditorium was packed with about 300 fans, mostly teens, which was awesome.
And let it be known: Sarah Rees Breenan is hilarious.
The Chicks did some audience-interaction games, gave away prizes and goodies and answered questions. One member of the audience asked for writing advice, as he was finishing his first novel.
So I took notes. Cuz that’s what I do.
Here’s some of the advice given by Holly Black, Melissa Marr and Alyson Noel.
Holly’s Writing Tips:
- Read a lot, and read outside of your genre
- Write a lot and keep revising
- Have a critique partner who is also a writer
It took Holly five years to write her first book.
Melissa’s advice:
- Don’t give up
- Read other novels and see what works and doesn’t work for you
- Determine how to apply what you learn from other novel to your work
- Be as harsh on yourself as possible
- Remember it’s all subjective
- You will be discouraged; don’t give up
Alyson’s advice:
- Be patient with yourself
- Realize most people don’t have the determination to finish
- Work hard
- Allow yourself to just get the story down
- Don’t expect perfection on the first draft
Excellent advice from some of today’s top YA authors. Hope you found it helpful and encouraging!