Obviously, I’m no writing expert! But since publishing my book a few months ago, I’ve gotten some questions on the drafting/editing/publishing process, and I thought I would put them all together here in a blog post! I also went on Instagram and asked you guys what you’d like to know, and I got some good ideas!
Question:
How old are you?/How old were you when you started writing?
Answer:
For some reason I feel awkward talking about my age online – not sure why – but I’ve been getting those two questions a lot lately! I’m currently seventeen, and I was twelve when I began writing Escape the Woods. But I’ve been writing stories and keeping a journal since I was about ten.
Question:
How long does it take to write a book?
Answer:
It depends on the person – how much time and experience they have. For me, it took almost five years for me to perfect my first book, but I was super young and didn’t really know what I was doing. My second book has taken about two years so far. Some authors publish three books a year, so it honestly just depends.
Question:
What is it like getting feedback from an editor?
Answer:
It’s brutal, to be completely honest. But it’s so worth it! You might feel a bit down for a couple days after recieving harsh feedback about your writing, especially if they’re critiquing your story’s plot or characters. But once you choose to rise up from the criticism and improve your writing, it will help you become SO much better.
Question:
Do you have to have an agent to publish a book?
Answer:
No. Only some publishing companies require them, and I didn’t need one to publish my book.
Question:
How do you stay motivated to write every single day?
Answer:
I like this question because I feel like, although I’m not a writing expert by any means, I would consider myself very motivated and diciplined. I could probably write an entire post about this topic, but the short story is this:
I absolutely LOVE writing fiction. More than blogging, and more than reading. It’s a huge part of my life; it basically is my life. When I’m happy, I write. When I’m angry, I write. When I’m sad, I write. When I’m anxious, I write. It’s one of my outlets, and I never really have a day where I don’t want to write. That’s how I know I’ve picked the right career.
I’ve made writing a part of my daily routine. Almost every morning, I get up and write. In the evenings, as long as I’m not out super late, I’ll write for three or four hours before bed. It’s so much a part of my life that I don’t feel like myself when I’m not writing.
Question:
How do you stick with the same story?
Answer:
I’ve never really struggled with this yet, but I know some people have a hard time bouncing from story to story, or dropping a story altogether. My advice would be to make sure you’re really passionate about the story you’re writing before you start writing. You have to be passionate about the story you’re telling, the characters you’re creating, and the message you’re trying to share with the world. That will keep you committed, and will get you out of bed and onto your laptop every day.
Question:
Is it awkward writing romance?
Answer:
This question makes me laugh! My friends ask me this all the time, and it’s definetely a valid question. Writing romance is strange! At first, I was so embarrassed to write about romantic relationships, so I told myself my series would be strictly action/adventure. But romance is so popular right now, especially with my target audience. And honestly, it’s so much fun to write.
Of course, some scenes make me feel awkward when I think about my parents and grandparents reading them, but I try to put that aside and write as authentically as I can. It eventually gets less awkward the more you write, and it’s so rewarding when your readers start shipping your couple.
Question:
What made you want to start blogging?
Answer:
As I said before, I’ve always loved to journal and document my life. I also love fashion and self improvement. Blogging seemed like a great place to mix all three, while also starting to grow my platform before publishing my book.
Love,
Gabriella
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