Writing Advice I Received From Authors

Hello everyone!

This past weekend I had the amazing opportunity to go to Teen Author Boot Camp. I got to meet so many amazing authors and I learned so much about how I can improve my writing. I thought I'd share some of the highlights with you all.

One of the major themes that was repeated from each class I went to was: Show, don't tell. When reading a book, you'd rather be shown what's going on rather than being told what is going on. It immerses the reader more into the story.

Ally Carter gave some great advice during her presentation:

• "A scene too boring to write is a scene too boring to read."
• Never compare your first draft to someone else's finished draft.
• Time is the best editor in the world.
• Find the writing process that works for you and your book.

Rosalyn Eves also taught a class about incorporating culture in your world:

• Don't introduce something until it's needed.
• You know everything about your world, the reader doesn't. Too much information at once can be overwhelming. "Less is more."
• If you want to incorporate a real culture that isn't yours you need to research it so you don't show disrespect towards it. The author recommended reading 100 books from that culture and then to ask yourself why your book should be a representation of that culture.

Kathryn Purdie taught a class about deep point of view:

• Imagine yourself as the character.
• Limit your marks of authorship. Things like "she thought" and "he saw" remind the reader that the author is behind the characters words and actions.
• Context clues the reader in on attitude, emotions, and actions. Trust the reader and your context.

Nicole Conway's class was about creating believable male characters:

• Don't let your story become an undressed mannequin meaning don't stick to one trope. You want to mix it up. Blending tropes is okay and makes your story even more unique and interesting.
• Avoid overthinking, especially if you are a female author writing in a male character's perspective. Men have a tendency to act before thinking and don't sit there thinking about their consequences. Keep their thoughts clear and straightforward.
• "Make dude writer friends to check your work."

Tiana Smith taught about putting a believable romance into your story:

• There's 4 elements you NEED to include: Conflict, Fulfill a Need, The "Spark", and The Physical Stuff.
• You need to build a wall as high as you can. If there was no conflict between the two love interests, what is the point of even reading the romance? Conflict makes things interesting.
• Explain emotions behind their actions.

J. Scott Savage taught about writing series:

• Create a series bible that is organized and can be expanded as needed.
• Your characters should always want something.
• What is the big reveal? What is the reveal for each book?

Michele Ashman's class was about incorporating the 5 senses into your writing:

• Sight: everything your character sees is what your reader sees
• Taste: what does it remind you of?
• Smell: evokes memories/emotions, most neglected in storytelling
• Sound: imagine the sounds as the soundtrack to your story
• Touch: adds extra dimension to the narrative
• Pay attention with your senses wherever you go so you can use those observations in your writing.

Brandon Mull concluded with some great advice:

• Create LIFE in your books/characters.
• Draw inspiration from your experiences.
• Be an honest observer.
• Pay attention to how your favorite authors build their scenes, then practice.

Do any of you write books? If so, I'd love to hear about them.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day.

~Abby