A social media and blogging coach by choice and an entrepreneur by accident, Sunita Biddu is making life large not just for herself but thousands of entrepreneurs by helping them with a powerful online presence. Been in the digital marketing industry for over 13 years, she knows how to put the Internet to work you and that’s what she coaches about – How to use social media, technology, and your own strengths to build an empire. She vacations 365 days a year and works from anywhere she wants. That’s the result of taming digital world to your advantage.
What fact about yourself would really surprise people?
The easiest thing for me is to make money, as much as I want to.
What do you write about?
I write about social media and blogging and how it can make a brand become trusted, popular and generate more revenues.
Do you have a specific writing style?
I have more of a personalized writing style where the readers can feel as they are talking to me and getting answers to their questions.
What’s the most memorable thing asked/said by a reader about your work?
Once a reader said, “You make the most complicated things look so simple. It’s an art.”
How long have you been writing?
For over 14 years.
What makes you happiest?
Plants, treess, flowers, money, great good, rains
Why do you write?
To empty my head, to put words into solutions for me or for others, to express.
What motivates you to write?
People’s questions
What are you most proud of in your personal life?
I am blessed with everything one needs to be happy and proud about. Great circle of friends, a loving partner, thriving business
What books did you love growing up?
Sydney Sheldon
How did you develop your writing?
By practicing writing every day. It gets better only by writing every day. No other way
What do you hope people will take away from your writing? How will your words make them feel?
My readers will take away ideas and clear action items on how to build a blog that make money for them. The book will make them feel it is all possible and they can certainly rely upon their blog to create a full-time luxury living.
Hi there. My name is Stephen Adams. I recently lost Sue, my wife of 40 years, to cancer. I miss her terribly. While going through my albums, I found an envelope, inside of which was an old black and white photo of Sue when she was about 8 years old. I had never seen the picture before. It reminded me that Sue used to talk about an old hut and hall where she and her friends would go to play in the school holidays. A friend turned the photo into colour, I enlarged it to 10″x12″, and I put it in a nice frame. I must have looked at it for days, until suddenly I was able to imagine a story about her. That story became a book : Special Susie and the Mystery of the Wooden Hut. While I was waiting for the illustrations to be done, I thought I’d catch up with a bit of reading. But I couldn’t find the books that I wanted to read. Anyway, after a little thought, an idea became : Special Susie and the Mystery of the Missing Books. Totally delighted with these stories about my Sue as an eight year old, I thought it would be fun to add me as an eleven year old boy. (In real life I’m 3 years older than Sue). So that idea became a third book : Special Susie and the Mystery of the Shy Boy. n.b. I’ve been asked why the name ‘Special Susie’. Well, when Sue was at school, there were 6 or 7 other Susans in her class. The teacher gave them all nicknames, so she was never called by her correct name for years. She always looked sad at this. I used to give her a hug and say : “Don’t worry darling, you’ll always be My Special Susie”. And that is what I called her for over 40 years. My beautiful special Susie.
Where are you from? Hi, my name is Stephen Adams, I live in the UK.
Why do you write? I lost my wife to cancer 5 years ago. The absence and pain in my heart has driven me to write. It helps to fill the enormous hole in my life.
What do you write about? I write romantic adventure novels, and also chapter books for children. All my books are about my wife in one way or another. Either romantic adventure novels about us, or chapter books about her as a girl.
Do you plan your writing? I don’t really plan anything when I write. I just picture myself in a certain situation, and take it from there. I guess it’s ‘real-time’ writing.
What are obstacles that come in the way of writing? I guess we all fear the dreaded “writers’ block”. And most of us will get it at some stage. When it happens, I tend to take myself away for an hour or so. Choose something that has nothing to do with the writing. Then go back and re-read the last chapter or two. An idea will pop up. I find that works for me.
What is your work schedule like when you are writing? Apart from essentials, I write each day from 10am to 5pm, taking a break for lunch from 1-2pm. I try to ensure nothing gets in the way of that. I tend to write at least 500 words a day. If I am really into it, it can be 1,000. But on average, I would say 700. A chapter book tends to go to 15,000 words, a novel to 75,000. You can do the maths.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk? I think the best books are stories that do both ‘show’ and ‘tell’. By that I mean, describe the person, place or situation, then move the story along with it.
Do you have suggestions on how to become a better writer? As an encouragement to others, I would like to say that as funny as it may sound, the best way to be a great writer, is to be a great reader. Fill yourself with words, images, situations that will grow your mind and your imagination. And finally, if you have a thought or an idea for a story, push it up into your imagination and let it develop! Go and explore, let yourself fly!
What do you think makes a good story? I consider a novel to be in three main parts: the infrastructure; the characters; and the plot. We are told to ‘write about what you know about’. This is brilliant advice. The less time we have to discover and do research, the more time we have for developing characters and moving the plot along. And that is the most interesting and exciting bit.
Do you see writing as a career? For me, writing is not so much a career, but a very enjoyable way of being anyone, doing anything, and going anywhere.
We’re a video enthusiast and our mission is to make you feel comfortable getting uncomfortable. And that means we’re encouraging you to embrace your fears to face the camera.
We came up with this fun-filled idea to splice-up short videos of authors answering questions briefly and posting it up on YouTube every week.
Author Video Splice Up Challenge Titles for October and November are as displayed in the images above. I’ll be joining in the fun too! ⠀ ⠀ Record yourself answering this question within 10 seconds and send it to info@internationalbookpromotion.com with your name and website by the due date.⠀ ⠀ Taking submissions from 12 authors only for each title. You can submit videos for every bi-weekly challenge, if you like.
I live in beautiful Central Florida, not too far from Disney World!
Why do you write?
I’ve always felt that words have power. You can make or break a deal with them. You can make or break a friendship with them. You can build people up or tear people down with them. Writing is a very powerful tool and can shape people’s minds in a way that makes the reader seek you out. And if someone seeks your book out then they are open to hearing your views on the world.
Do you have a specific writing style?
I write from the heart. Most of my writing comes from emotional experiences. I like to use descriptive words that are easy to understand. I do want to persuade thoughts of the reader as well but more in a subtle way versus “in your face” approach.
What are obstacles that come in the way of writing?
Since most writers write at home, there are many distractions that can take attention away from the story. I can “get on a roll” where words just flow out of me but then my dogs start barking or the doorbell rings. Those things can change my thought process and make it harder to focus. There are also emotional obstacles that make me not want to write on the subject at hand. Let’s say someone is writing on how to save your marriage but yet they are going through a divorce. An author’s life situation plays a big part of the words they put on paper and also how quickly they can get those words written.
What’s the most memorable thing asked/said by a reader about your work?
I had this little boy come up to me at a school after I read the bug book and said that he was feeling unloved like Mr. Roach. I spoke to him about how special he was and to try and not let others have that power over him. Another memorable thing was when parents have told me that they are going to read my Christmas book throughout the year to remind their family members to limit screen time.
How long have you been writing?
I was around 9-years old. I had this little poem book I started. I still have it in a box in the garage. I stapled paper together to make a spine and had poems I wrote and a few poems that others wrote that were my favorite. I have won several Addy awards for copywriting and I also write song lyrics.
When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer?
My deceased father was also a writer. Years back, I found many cards and love notes that he wrote my mother. I’m not sure if writing is genetic but it might be because I love words. Writing is like your own little escape place or safe place to say whatever you want. I was kind of lonely as a child and writing gave me a lot of comfort and strength.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I guess you would say that I put a lot of emotion and description into my writing. It is very raw and honest. I’m not really into made up stories/fiction or things that are on dark subjects. I like happy endings.
How long does it take to write a book?
I can only come from the experience of children’s books. The writing may come quickly but the editing and also illustrations could take a while. The whole process is longer than people would think due to printing and funding. One day, I hope to write a novel or autobiography. Illustrations make the timeline for the final product longer.
Do you have suggestions on how to become a better writer?
Get a good editor who knows what he/she are doing. Don’t be afraid of criticism and take advise from others who have done well. There are many books out there so try and think of topics that readers want to read about and not necessarily what you want to write about.
What challenges do you come across when writing/creating your story?
My biggest challenge is not saying too much (I’m probably doing that right now) but children’s books need to have few words to get the story across. Look at most successful children’s books and those authors really have little to say. The motto “’less is more” works well in most cases unless you are writing a Harry Potter type of series.
What do you think makes a good story?
Drawing the reader into something that makes them think, react or feel a certain way. Influencing the reader to take on your cause for writing that book.
What does your family think of your writing?
My husband is very supportive and my kids think it is cool. I remember when I received copies of my books “hot off the press” that my daughter wanted to post about it right away and take a selfie with the books. The Christmas House was written with my kids in mind and their digital distractions. Now that they are older, they understand more why I wrote it. As for my three dogs, I do have some pictures of them reading the books but not quite sure what they think.
Do you see writing as a career?
Yes, part of my business is books. I have two on the market right now and hope to have a third out before this year ends. I have done a lot of commercial and advertising writing but books are a lot more detailed and personal.
What are your books about?
I write morals-based
children’s books. My book Don’t Judge a Bug By Its Cover teaches children to
accept pther people who may be different than they are.
My book The Christmas House
is a modern version of the nativity story. As Mary and Joseph look for a place
to stay for the birth of baby Jesus they find so many people who are too busy
to help because they’re distracted by their cell phones, video games and other
smart devices.
Do you have anything specific you’d like to tell the readers?
We are all connected in some way. No matter what our differences are there will always be a common bond that is underlying.
Srividya Bhaskara is a Graduate from Department of Electronics and Communication engineering ,JNTU, Hyderabad, India.She is passionate about Literature, Fine arts, Music, Gardening, Creative writing, painting & childcare.she is very passionate about Gardening, especially HIBISCUS AND ROSES.
ADDED SUGARS THE SLOW POISON: Discover the Cumulative and Deadly effects of Added sugars used in Processed food
This book is a simple yet insightful guide to gain information about all aspects of ADDED SUGARS AND THEIR DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS TO THE SOCIETY. Increasing metabolic disorders in children due to large consumption of ADDED SUGARS in processed food is the Key Motivating factor for Conception of this book.
Where are you from?
My name is Srividya Bhaskara. I am an Indian and I live in the city of Hyderabad.
2. Why do you write?
Writing is a simple yet wonderful form of expression of My thoughts, ideas, imagination. I can bond with people all over the world with My New ideas, stories. I can share my treasure of joys, suggestions, information, lessons to my readers with lots of ease.
I can create my own world of stories, characters, fun, research and share it with my friends and readers. A writer has a unique privilege to form a bond of friendship without being physically present.
3. What do you write about?
The topics I choose for writing are wide and thought provoking. I generally write topics related to Non fiction such as health and fitness.i do write short stories which have humour, subtle characters which we come across in our daily lives.i have not confined myself to a particular genre,it all depends on the need of the hour and motivation.
I have now published an ebook “ADDED SUGARS THE SLOW POISON” in amazon. The book signifies the harmful and dangerous effects about added sugars which are hidden in the processed food items which we consume daily.
These added sugars act as
silent killers and cause chronic metabolic disorders like obesity, type-2
diabetes, Non-alcoholic fatty liver.
4. What are the obstacles that come in the way of writing?
In the beginning days of my writing, I had 2 main obstacles in the process of writing my ebook.
Noisy surroundings: As I live in a city environment, with too much traffic, with no quiet secluded corner. I found concentrating on my work little difficult. But as I have finished writing my first ebook I have matured and learnt to cope and write. I take early hours of my day, wake up early in the morning when the external environment is calm. Regular practice helped me learn concentration, commitment in the process of learning and writing a book.
Formatting the chapters: As I started my first book, I was flooded with lots of information, sometimes I used to get perplexed about the sequence and flow of information and chapters. But once I obtained clarity about what I want to give to the readers, I got to know how to put that information correctly in an order.
Book writing is wonderful art and Just like any art, book writing also requires patience, experience, love and time.
5.How long have you been been writing?
I have been writing since my childhood and school days. I have been a member of literary club in my school, wrote short stories for various competitions. From the past one year I have started writing ebooks and I published my first book “ADDED SUGARS THE SLOW POISON” In amazon.
6. When did you first realize that you wanted to become a writer?
I was a voracious reader right from childhood, read children’s books, animated series, short stories, detective stories, humorous and witty short stories. Reading inspired me to write and express and share my own personal experiences. I found happiness in writing and sharing my words and thoughts to my readers.
It was when my english teachers in my school and college days appreciated and encouraged my short stories, I realized that I should become a writer.
7. How long it takes to write a book ?
It depends upon the type of book you are writing a book (long book/short book). There are mainly 2 types of books available in the market. There are ebooks, paperback books.
There are 3 important stages in ebook/book publication:
Preparation of manuscript & cover page of the book (ideally 3 months for short books): Well, prepared manuscript is the foundation for the success of any book. Hence, a writer needs to take sufficient time to give best quality of content to the readers. An attractive cover page is also important to drive the audience to read a book.
Formatting of the book (kindle /microsoft / epub/mobi (1 month)): The manuscript has to properly formatted to fit for e- readers/ kindle devices.The diagrams, jpg images, page margins, flow charts, sentence spacing, paragraph spacing, page settings have to be done neatly.
Uploading the book to amazon or other platforms (15 days to 1 month): Depends upon the no. of platforms your book needs to be published. There are good no. of publishers apart from amazon which publish ebooks, paperback print on demand books.
It takes a total of 5 -6 months for a short book to be neatly published.
8. Do you have any suggestions on how to become a better writer?
As I am a beginner in writing books , it will be too early for me to give advice. But I can give some tips which will reduce some strain.
1. Plan every step of book writing (create a daily schedule)
2. Do enjoy the process of writing (treat it as your child)
3. Do not be afraid of mistakes
/criticism( there always will be some amount of criticism)
4. Set a deadline, so that you always feel motivated.
5. Always remember that we grow from our first book.
6. Keep things as simple as possible.
9. What do you think it takes a good story?
A good story is an honest account of a writer of his experiences, information, joys and sorrows. A good story is simple and touches the heart of the reader with its true words.
10. Do you have anything to share with your readers?
Hi
friends,
Just
wanted to share a good news!
My kindle ebook “ADDED SUGARS THE SLOW POISON” is going live on Aug 14th. I want to spread the message about how added sugars have silently crept into our lives through numerous processed food items like: daily cereals, sweetened yogurt, sodas, soft drinks, diet coke, ketchups, sports drinks, and are causing major damage to our health.
These
added / refined sugars are silent killers, cause metabolic disorders like: Obesity, insulin resistance, Type-2
diabetes,Non-alcoholic Fatty liver, cardiovascular problems.
Come! Let us save our future generations and children from sugary drinks, processed foods.
11. What is your work schedule like when you
are writing?
I give my book writing a high priority, so I take time in early mornings when the rest of the environment is quiet, calm & peaceful. I do all my book writing and research in solitude.
Hello everyone! We are behind schedule for the July author interview as we had difficulties to get the last three authors to send in their answers and we had to find new authors to replace the three authors who had signed up earlier for the interview. Nevertheless, I am happy to finally be able to publish the answers from all of them for the interview series.
It’s time to reveal the answers for all 12 questions answered by 12 author participants in the July Group Author Interview, in the 12 genres, 12 authors, 12 months and 12 questions series! Thank you for the support from the 12 Young Adult authors who have participated in this group author interview.
If you are an author and would like to participate in our upcoming interviews, check out this link, sign up and get your fans to ask their questions to the participating authors! The goal of this author interview is to increase the engagement between readers and authors, and to expose authors to new group of readers.
If you have questions pertaining to video marketing for author branding or if you’d like to know how I managed to garner over 100 pre-orders even before my book launch, contact me and I’d be happy to speak to you!
We are now a registered book publisher too! Sign up for our newsletter and CLAIM your FREE book trailer today!
Some of our group author participants are also being interviewed through Author Live Chat with Fans session! Click here to book a session for yourself!
So, the 12th question is “How do you market and brand yourself as an author?”
Great question! I brand myself as an author who takes the side of the underdog, the outsider, the geek, in the YA/teen world. Lots of young people can identify with not always being part of the crowd. I think they’d groove to what I write. As for marketing, I mainly use Twitter and Facebook in order to advertise what I have written. A lot of my sales come from word of mouth, and that means I always have to make myself accessible. That kind of accessability is key to more widespread recognition from potential readers.
I began to market and brand myself as an author in my local area. On reflection, this was probably not the best way to go about it as I missed out on gaining Amazon reviews. I arranged a book launch in our local art gallery to which I invited everyone I could think of plus politicians. I was featured in the local press and on the local radio. I also contacted primary schools and was invited to present workshops on bullying based on my books. In terms of social media, I designed a website, opened Facebook and Linkedin accounts, as well as regularly featuring on author blogs and posting on Facebook book groups, etc. I am still involved in presenting workshops to both students and adults.
I use social media and go out and meet people at workshops, etc. I also recently taught the ‘Future Novelist’ course for OISE, an English as a Foreign Language summer school. Students from all over Europe came to Devon for a course on how to write creatively. We also looked at different authors, literary theory and literary devices they could use in their own writing. At the end of the course, the students produced their own piece of creative writing, which is going to be published by the school. It is very exciting and worthwhile to inspire young writers of the future!
I’ve always written science-fiction and fantasy thrillers and I think I always will. But my more unique brand is with the mental health aspects, there will always be this angle in my books and I like to explore them in a fantastical setting. Then these issues are at one remove from the reality of a reader and perhaps they can identify with the problems without worrying about them.
Ha, this is a learning curve for me. The Sky Is Mine is my first published novel so even being called an author is a new and heart-thumpingly exciting development for me. It still feels kind of surreal. As for branding, I need to work on that, though I hope what comes across is my desire to empower young readers.
Readers can find my books through my website, Facebook, BN.com, Amazon, and Indie Bookstores. I am available for school author visits in-person or via Skype, and love talking with readers and book clubs. Feel free to reach out with any questions at my website tkkiser.com. Happy reading!
That’s one thing I really need to work on. I should be more active on social media and pursue being an author guest at cons. But I did enjoy having a table at artist’s alley where I could sell my book and promote it to potential readers. I had buttons and bookmarks made to hand out. My favorite part, though, was having my boyfriend cosplay as one of my characters and walk around the con space. He was the Gingerbread Man, sort of a Robin Hood character. Having the support of people I love makes me feel like a bestseller.
I have a website and use social media. Mostly I just try to be myself – people see through fake branding pretty quick. Especially teenagers. They’re bright as buttons!
Very badly. I use Facebook and Twitter, try and get involved in local author events where possible, but all the time I’m conscious I’m just screaming into the void. To get any traction in publishing, you need to be a bestseller. To be a bestseller, you need marketing, but you don’t get marketing unless you’re a bestseller. You don’t get into Waterstones or WHSmith unless you are a bestseller, but you can’t become a bestseller without being on the shelves of Waterstones and WHSmith…. And so the wheel turns as we get crushed underneath. That’s a cheery way of ending the interview, isn’t it?
Stay tuned for the next post. Be sure to follow this website via email to get notified when new posts are being made.
The most important aspect of any book promotion is YOU ! I recently sent out a newsletter to our subscribers, giving them insights to why author branding is very crucial to marketing effort. Check it out here and subscribe to our newsletter if you haven’t.
Hello everyone! We are behind schedule for the July author interview as we had difficulties to get the last three authors to send in their answers and we had to find new authors to replace the three authors who had signed up earlier for the interview. Nevertheless, I am happy to finally be able to publish the answers from all of them for the interview series.
It’s time to reveal the answers for all 12 questions answered by 12 author participants in the July Group Author Interview, in the 12 genres, 12 authors, 12 months and 12 questions series! Thank you for the support from the 12 Young Adult authors who have participated in this group author interview.
If you are an author and would like to participate in our upcoming interviews, check out this link, sign up and get your fans to ask their questions to the participating authors! The goal of this author interview is to increase the engagement between readers and authors, and to expose authors to new group of readers.
If you have questions pertaining to video marketing for author branding or if you’d like to know how I managed to garner over 100 pre-orders even before my book launch, contact me and I’d be happy to speak to you!
We are now a registered book publisher too! Sign up for our newsletter and CLAIM your FREE book trailer today!
Some of our group author participants are also being interviewed through Author Live Chat with Fans session! Click here to book a session for yourself!
So, the 11th question is “Do you use the Pop-Culture reference in your YA book?”
Sometimes, I do. In the past, I’ve used KPop group names (changed, of course), references to Star Trek or some superheroes, but I don’t go overboard. It’s fun to incorporate them once in a while , but all the time? No.
In The Sky Is Mine, Izzy is obsessed with Desert Island Discs, a Radio 4 program in which guests are asked to choose the eight songs, book and luxury which they’d take if they were stranded on a desert island. As such, there are lots of musical references – some contemporary, some older – in the novel. For the most part I’ve picked songs readers will have heard of, but I quite like that some are more obscure and that readers might discover new music or, indeed, Desert Island Discs, it’s such a brilliant show. Music is so evocative of time and place that the program gives you a brilliant insight into people’s lives.
The Manakor Chronicles is set in a fantasy world, so their pop-culture is much different than ours! Carine and the princes certainly don’t refer to Netflix shows or 90’s icons. They stick to their own world.
The closest thing I have to pop culture references in Restless Beauty is referencing other fairy tales, as it’s full of fairy tale characters. For example, one of the first places my characters stop at is a town called Beanstalk Drop, which is full of clues that’s it’s the site of the tale of Jack and the beanstalk–including the option of paying 3 silver to take a tour of the crater where the giant skeleton is still lying.
Not really; I’m already writing on an alternative timeline where history has gone in a different direction, and also (like the slang) pop culture dates rather quickly.
Stay tuned for the next post. Be sure to follow this website via email to get notified when new posts are being made.
The most important aspect of any book promotion is YOU ! I recently sent out a newsletter to our subscribers, giving them insights to why author branding is very crucial to marketing effort. Check it out here and subscribe to our newsletter if you haven’t.
Hello everyone! We are behind schedule for the July author interview as we had difficulties to get the last three authors to send in their answers and we had to find new authors to replace the three authors who had signed up earlier for the interview. Nevertheless, I am happy to finally be able to publish the answers from all of them for the interview series.
It’s time to reveal the answers for all 12 questions answered by 12 author participants in the July Group Author Interview, in the 12 genres, 12 authors, 12 months and 12 questions series! Thank you for the support from the 12 Young Adult authors who have participated in this group author interview.
If you are an author and would like to participate in our upcoming interviews, check out this link, sign up and get your fans to ask their questions to the participating authors! The goal of this author interview is to increase the engagement between readers and authors, and to expose authors to new group of readers.
If you have questions pertaining to video marketing for author branding or if you’d like to know how I managed to garner over 100 pre-orders even before my book launch, contact me and I’d be happy to speak to you!
We are now a registered book publisher too! Sign up for our newsletter and CLAIM your FREE book trailer today!
Some of our group author participants are also being interviewed through Author Live Chat with Fans session! Click here to book a session for yourself!
So, the 10th question is “Slang words for YA novels. Yes or no?”
I very rarely use slang or swear words. With slang, today’s slang is tomorrow’s passe slang. I don’t try to be clever or pithy. Too many authors try to be pithy, and as I said in one of my novels, I can kick the pith out of anyone. 😉 As for swearing, I very rarely drop the S-bomb (or worse). Many authors do, and it gets kind of mind number after a while. If it’s done at a crucial moment in the story, fine, but all the time, no.
I do not use slang words as it is not in the nature of my character to do so. However, I see no problem in using slang words as long as they are not offensive.
I think it depends on what kind of book you are writing. I use some colloquial expressions native to the north west of England, because of the setting.
Sure. I think if you can stick to global ones, like “cool” etc then the book won’t date so quickly, but local slang can also add a flavour to the book too, or show us a dimension of character if the MC is prone to using a particular word.
Slang can be great, especially if you’re writing a period piece. Language is one of those things that can really boost the authenticity of a story. But context is key–it’s a delicate balance between being clear and trusting that the reader knows what the characters are trying to say.
No. It dates too easily. Unless you make up your own vernacular within a unique world.
Stay tuned for the next post. Be sure to follow this website via email to get notified when new posts are being made.
The most important aspect of any book promotion is YOU ! I recently sent out a newsletter to our subscribers, giving them insights to why author branding is very crucial to marketing effort. Check it out here and subscribe to our newsletter if you haven’t.
As a YA author, what is the primary challenge you face when writing your book? Photo by Dương Nhân on Pexels.com
Hello everyone! We are behind schedule for the July author interview as we had difficulties to get the last three authors to send in their answers and we had to find new authors to replace the three authors who had signed up earlier for the interview. Nevertheless, I am happy to finally be able to publish the answers from all of them for the interview series.
It’s time to reveal the answers for all 12 questions answered by 12 author participants in the July Group Author Interview, in the 12 genres, 12 authors, 12 months and 12 questions series! Thank you for the support from the 12 Young Adult authors who have participated in this group author interview.
If you are an author and would like to participate in our upcoming interviews, check out this link, sign up and get your fans to ask their questions to the participating authors! The goal of this author interview is to increase the engagement between readers and authors, and to expose authors to new group of readers.
If you have questions pertaining to video marketing for author branding or if you’d like to know how I managed to garner over 100 pre-orders even before my book launch, contact me and I’d be happy to speak to you!
We are now a registered book publisher too! Sign up for our newsletter and CLAIM your FREE book trailer today!
Some of our group author participants are also being interviewed through Author Live Chat with Fans session! Click here to book a session for yourself!
So, the 9th question is “As a YA author, what is the primary challenge you face when writing your book?”
My biggest challenge is keeping a steady pace. I’m known for writing fast-paced novels–they move! I want to keep things humming along, and that means keeping my narrative fairly simple and focusing on dialogue and action to speed things along.
The primary challenge is to write books that resonate with the YA. Life today is very different from when I was a teen. The language, lifestyle and fashions all have to be studied.
For me it’s getting my ideas down quickly enough. I currently have 3 plotted novels on my laptop plus notes for a further 4 and more ideas in my head. But writing a novel takes time!
TIME TIME TIME. I have two young children. Once I’m in a book, I find it difficult to think of much else but, come 3.15pm, I have no choice but to close my laptop and focus on the real people in my life rather than the ones in my head.
Keep writing! Writing is a marathon, not a sprint. Sticking to it, and sitting down at the keyboard day after day is both the challenge and the pleasure of writing books. I would encourage anyone interesting in writing to go ahead and start. Just a few minutes a day will add up in the long run, and there’s no time like right now: write!
Adult readers who say that don’t read YA, then when they do they love it. Labels are restrictive, there are only good or bad books. Give a book a genre and you narrow readership. ‘I write political thrillers, but because I put a dragon in them they go in the fantasy section.’ Terry Pratchett. (or something along those lines.)
Pacing is an issue for me – balancing the racing scenes with character development, the world the characters live in, the issues they face etc. Too much of the adventure and it gets a bit tedious, but too much of the world building can also be dull – plus you risk preaching to the readership rather than letting them see it all for themselves. It’s good to have a message, but if you start beating the audience around the head with it, you’ll lose them.
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How do you decide on character development for your YA story? What inspires you? Photo by Helena Lopes on Pexels.com
Hello everyone! We are behind schedule for the July author interview as we had difficulties to get the last three authors to send in their answers and we had to find new authors to replace the three authors who had signed up earlier for the interview. Nevertheless, I am happy to finally be able to publish the answers from all of them for the interview series.
It’s time to reveal the answers for all 12 questions answered by 12 author participants in the July Group Author Interview, in the 12 genres, 12 authors, 12 months and 12 questions series! Thank you for the support from the 12 Young Adult authors who have participated in this group author interview.
If you are an author and would like to participate in our upcoming interviews, check out this link, sign up and get your fans to ask their questions to the participating authors! The goal of this author interview is to increase the engagement between readers and authors, and to expose authors to new group of readers.
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So, the 8th question is “How do you decide on character development for your YA story? What inspires you?”
Good question. I like to look at the frailties of people. Many of my characters have either physical flaws or psychological hangups–or both. I incorporate those flaws into their development, where they have to overcome their so-called disabilities. That makes them memorable.
I don’t think I give much thought to character development. I normally have the whole book planned from start to finish in my head before I begin the story. I just write what comes into my head. However, I am influenced by life itself, my experiences of living and ideas from events such as on the news, stories, etc.
I write character profiles for each of my characters, detailing things like their appearance, character, what clothes they wear, likes and dislikes, motivations and flaws, etc. I could get inspiration from anywhere! On the bus, walking around, from the TV or a movie! I tend to mull things over in my mind for a period of time before I put pen to paper.
When I first think of an idea, usually it’s the central plot or the character that comes to me first. I know what they will have to overcome from a plot point of view. Then i ask myself what it is they want at the beginning of the novel, versus what they need. If I can make these two opposing opposites then I know I will have a lasting conflict throughout the novel as the MC comes to accept what they need and reject what they initially wanted. In this way, the arc of my characters are created. If I can do the same for secondary characters and make them in the way of the MC, then I’ve got even more delicious conflict.
For me, everything is driven by what the character thinks they want, why they can’t get it and how / whether they can achieve it in the end. I take inspiration from real life stories I read in the news or hear about on the radio/ podcasts. (I’m OBSESSED with podcasts!) To gain a better understanding of my characters at the beginning of writing, I use a book called The Wisdom of the Ennegram which looks at nine different character types. It’s great for getting to grips with a person’s motivation, best traits and flaws and how they might behave in a crisis. The book was a brilliant tip from Julie Cohen, a fantastic writer.
Often the characters develop on their own! Carine and David have surprised me in their words and actions as I’ve written their scenes. That’s one of my favorite things about writing: the muse is mysterious and beyond my understanding. All I know is when I set pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), the characters start to breathe. Sure, I plot, revise, and edit, but there’s something about creativity that’s almost like magic.
I’m a big fan of the classics, and I absolutely love re-imagined fairy tales. But sometimes the things that inspire you appear when you’re not looking for them. I used to be a substitute teacher, and while I was hanging out in the teachers’ lounge, I got in a conversation about old Disney movies. Sleeping Beauty is one of my favorites, although not without criticism–I mean, it’s the story of Princess Aurora, but she’s only onscreen for ten minutes of the entire movie! While we were talking, I wondered how the story would have been different if Aurora had woken up early: thorny castle, everyone still asleep–and no prince with the magical kiss. I concluded that Aurora probably would have had a nervous breakdown, so I created a fairy tale princess who was determined to get out and get help. And once you create a character like that, it’s only natural that she needs a world to go into.
Alongside writing I work for a big youth charity. Through this work I have the great privilege of meeting and hearing about amazing young people overcoming enormous challenges and achieving the most brilliant things. I’m blown away by them and they are my inspiration.
A character with a well defined back story will develop themselves. Never build a house with shoddy footings, it’s so much harder. Add a dash of conflict, a sprinkle of self-doubt and just let them loose.
The Full Throttle series was inspired by 1920s motor racing, with specific reference to the Bentley Boys. I realised the era was a perfect way of showing the issues we still have today, (the class divide, the many opportunities for the wealthy in contrast to a complete dearth of working-class opportunities and so on), and as such all I needed to do was drop my characters into that world and watch them react. Poppy is intelligent, an outsider, and questions everything, while Amy is far more constrained by public opinion and being respectable. In contrast, Simeon, their wealthy sponsor, automatically assumes as a wealthy man he can have whatever he wants…
Stay tuned for the next post. Be sure to follow this website via email to get notified when new posts are being made.
The most important aspect of any book promotion is YOU ! I recently sent out a newsletter to our subscribers, giving them insights to why author branding is very crucial to marketing effort. Check it out here and subscribe to our newsletter if you haven’t.
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