What’s the hardest part about writing YA lit?:
The same thing that’s the hardest part about all writing: writing it! I don’t see YA as substantively different from other kinds of fiction. It demands the same great pacing, great characterization, great plot twists . . . all that stuff that’s just frankly hard to pull off. But makes the whole writing journey worth it.
When exactly did you know you wanted to be a writer?:
I wrote as a little kid all the time, and I think I daydreamed about doing it professionally. Then as a young teen I wrote a couple of books and definitely dreamed of “being a writer.” But that went by the wayside for most of my teen years while I focused on humanitarian and spiritual work. I took writing up seriously again in my early twenties and have made a habit of it ever since.
Have you found any clever ways to market your books to YA readers?:
Yeah, getting my younger siblings (I have eleven) to recommend them to all their friends. j/k
What YA books have had the biggest influence on your writing?:
They didn’t call it YA back in the day, but George MacDonald, Madeleine L’Engle, Susan Cooper, Robin McKinley, Lloyd Alexander . . . these really classic fantasy writers who wrote for kids and teens both, but their stuff was adult on many levels.
Short author bio: Rachel Starr Thomson is a writer, editor, indie publisher, serial entrepreneur, and traveling spoken-word artist and speaker with 1:11 Ministries. She loves to write, tell stories, and find new ways to see the world. And also take walks and drink more coffee than is good for her.
Website: http://www.rachelstarrthomson.
Twitter: @writerstarr
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