#writingpath

[atruebloodwrites]

Most of my life people haven’t taken me seriously. Maybe it’s because I’m short, female, and have a voice that sounds like a ten-year-old. Whatever it is, people always bet against me. . When I said I wanted to run a half-marathon, most people said I’d never finish the training and the run. I did both. . When people warned me not to try to find a job in entertainment after college, I ignored them. I had a job in L.A. within the first month. . Even when I told people I wanted to write a book, they were skeptical. When I went to my first conference, and editor told me my chance of being published was less than 1%, I took it as a challenge not a devastating reality. . Maybe it is because people always underestimate that I fight back, struggle through, crawl toward that finish line. . What I’ve learned is that it’s not so much about showing everyone that they’re wrong, but proving to myself that I am right. . . . #workhard #nevergiveup #writingpath #pathtopublication #selfconfidence #liveyourdream #writinglife #authorlife #writerscommunity #writingcommunityofinstagram #writingcommunityofig #noselfrejecting #pushforward #yawritersofinstagram #yawriter #yaauthor https://www.instagram.com/p/CEPOLUPATpW/?igshid=rp63sqr7b7uo

[atruebloodwrites]

I love this IG account. It is full of brave and bold words about owning your own life and not letting people get in the way of your dreams. It is basically the sentiment of both my books. . I want young women to read my stories and find strength and power in them. When they read the final word, I want them to feel as if they can go out and tackle the world. Society should never put a limit on a woman’s dreams, and I write to show girls that anything is possible in this world. That no dream is too big if you have the heart and soul to chase after it! . . . #asummerinwriting #whyiwrite #writerlife #writingpath #writergoals #writingdreams #bookinspiration #chaseyourdreams #authorlife #authorssupportingauthors #writerssupportingwriters #booklife #bookdreams #nodreamistoobig #acrossabrokenshore #nothingbutsky #yareads #yahistoricalfiction #yahistoricalreads #historicalfiction https://www.instagram.com/p/CC_WdTFg_2u/?igshid=1n6aatc8vjhdz

[atruebloodwrites]

Why I write... . No, it’s not because of awards. It’s about the meaning behind the award. . If you’ve read either of my books, you know they have a very feminist bent. It’s always a strong thread in what I write. I want young girls to know they have incredible power that they can harness. That even though some social structures seek to deter women, they CAN push past them to reach their goals and dreams. That’s why being awarded the Amelia Bloomer prize for ACROSS A BROKEN SHORE is really important to me. . The truth is that no matter what I write, it will always focus on female empowerment and hopefully imbue strength to my young female readers. . . . #asummerinwriting #whyiwrite #writingpath #writingfocus #writinggoals #feministaf #feministstories #feministstorytelling #yareads #yareaders #yareadersofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CClyB6-gUFa/?igshid=8ttev1cugpzd

[atruebloodwrites]

Today’s post is inspired by a story I read a while ago about the successful, and prolific, YA Contemporary writer, Sarah Dessen. In the story, she talked about all the books she’d written that for some reason or another never made it to publication. If I remember correctly, the post included a picture of a stack of these manuscripts. . That story stuck with me because I remember how vulnerable she was to share that info. Here she is this NYT Bestselling writer and she was telling others about her stumbles. About how hard it was to work on books and know they’d never make it to publication. . That story inspired me to share this picture. It’s a stack of twelve notebooks. All are filled with words and ideas for five manuscripts I’ve written that will most likely never see the light of day. I’m sharing this so that new writers will see that sometimes things won’t go as planned. That the 80k manuscript you worked so hard on may never be published. It almost seems like a rite of passage for most of us writers. . If you have a book or two, or five, that haven’t worked, I want you to know you’re not alone. That you’re not failing. You’re simply working toward the one that will stick one day! . . . #writingtruth #writingpath #dontgiveup #keepworking #keepwriting #pathtopublucation #aspiringwriters #writing #writinglife #writersofinsta https://www.instagram.com/p/CCJbbDFA0uJ/?igshid=1ui969kxp8sxj

[atruebloodwrites]

Writer friends: A quick word about the intricacies and perils of publishing. . . . If you’ve been writing for years and years, the whole aspect of querying, or selling that manuscript, may feel daunting, especially if you are getting nothing but rejections. . . . When you do get interest, it may finally feel like victory & validation. It’s a wonderful and hopeful time, but you also have to be cautious. . . . Before you agree to anything, please make sure you are doing your research. It’s great that an agent has taken an interest in your book after a pitch contest, but what do you know about them? Are they from a legit agency? Do they have sales to all different kinds of presses (big, medium, small)? Do they have clients you can speak to about their relationship? If an agent balks at making any of this info available, it’s a flag you should think about. . . . What about an offer from a publisher? Are they legit? Do they have a distribution arm? Will your book have both hard copies & digital versions? FYI, A LOT of small or indie presses only offer digital deals - some with print-on-demand options only. Know about this before you sign. If you are not agented, you should query with “publishing offer” in subject line. If you don’t get an agent, PLEASE have an attorney look at the contract before you sign. . . . Your work should be valued and that means taking time to vet offers. Many of us in the writing community are happy to answer questions. Please put in the work so you don’t get burned. There are a ton of details that effect your rights that you should know & understand. . . . #writingpath #writinglife #pathtopublication #aspiringwriter #aspiringauthor #publishingdeal #agencycontract #writingcommunityofinstagram #writingcommunity #writershelpingwriters #igauthor #writersofinstagram #igauthorlife https://www.instagram.com/p/CBv1Y4KAmL-/?igshid=wrgfn574hqz8