Words for Nerds #AtoZChallenge--Y is for YA (an interview)

Shevi: Hi, YA!

YA: (Continues to text on her phone, her face partially hidden behind her hair. She shrugs.)

Shevi: We’re here to set people straight about all the mistaken assumptions they have about you.

YA: (Pausing but not looking up from her phone) Yeah! People just don’t get me.   

Shevi: I think most people know that YA stands for “Young Adult.”

YA: (Sighs and rolls her eyes) I don’t like being called that anymore. I’d rather be called “Teen.”

Shevi: Totally understandable, since that’s clearly what you are.

YA: Duh!

Shevi: Okay, so I think most people know that YA books are books with main characters who are between thirteen and seventeen years old.

YA: Yes, but we’re not all the same.

Shevi: Right! There’s younger YA, which is more for teens between thirteen and fifteen. And then there’s older YA, which is more for teens between sixteen and seventeen.

YA: Because we’re dealing with different stuff.

Shevi: Absolutely! For example, the Georgia Nicolson books by Louise Rennison, like Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging, deal with friendships, first crushes, everyday family stuff . . .

YA: And the character is younger, so that’s definitely younger YA.

Shevi: Yes. And my Legend of Gilbert the Fixer series that starts with Why My Love LifeSucks has a seventeen-year-old character dealing with the last year of high school and who he wants to be after high school.

YA: Definitely older YA.

Shevi: Yes.

YA: But it’s only like PG-13, so younger teens can read it.

Shevi: Yes, and that’s true of a lot of YA. Younger teens can read it. They just might not necessarily relate to it. It depends on the maturity of the particular reader and what they’re going through.

YA: (Back to texting) Yeah.

Shevi: And that’s one of the misconceptions I’d like to clear up. Some people think that any book with a teenage protagonist is a YA, and that’s just not the case.

YA: (Laughs) Yeah, because if that was true, all those Disney princess movies would be YA, and they’re so not!

Shevi: Right! A YA novel has to deal with same things teens are dealing with today. Like first romantic relationships.

YA: (Blushes) Ewwww . . . Don’t talk about that out loud, okay?

Shevi: Don’t worry. It’s just between the reader and you.

YA: (Nods and goes back to texting)

Shevi: Two other common misconceptions are that a YA book has to be completely clean . . .

YA: (Laughs) Yeah, no.

Shevi: Or that YA books can only be issue books that deal with things like sex, violence, drugs . . .

YA: (Blushes) Yeah, no.

Shevi: A YA book can certainly deal with serious issues. That’s fine. But there are all kinds of YAs.

YA: Yeah, just like there are all kinds of teens.

Shevi: Exactly. And a YA refers to an audience age-group, not a genre. A YA can be in any genre. It can be an issue book, but it can also be a comedy, a fantasy novel, a science fiction novel . . .

YA: (Excited) Have you read The Hunger Games? It’s ah-mazing!

Shevi: That’s another thing. You don’t have to be a teen to appreciate YA. A good book is a good book, no matter how old you are.

YA: Thank you!

Shevi: Before we go, is there anything else you’d like people to know about you?

YA: (Looks up and puts her phone down. She takes a deep breath and lets it out.) I wish people would stop telling me what to do.

Shevi: Meaning?

YA: Some writers treat us like we’re little kids. They don’t understand who we are or what we’re going through. They lie to us. They’re not honest. You don’t have to tell me what to do or think or feel. I can do those things for myself! It’s like . . . it’s like they don’t respect me.

Shevi: (Nods) I think that’s something every writer should keep in mind, no matter who their audience is. No one likes to be condescended to. I know I don’t. And you know what else?

YA: (Shrugs)

Shevi: I love your honesty. I think that’s what makes you one of my favorite categories of books. You don’t waste time but get straight to the point.

YA: (Blushes) I like that about me, too. 

Shevi: So I hope that clears up a few misconceptions. If you want to know more, just check out the books in the the teen section of your local library or bookstore. The more you read, the more you'll realize how great YA books are. 

L is for Love Stories (And how to write one when you don’t read romance)

Sometimes I have ideas for books in genres I don’t read. For example, I read fantasy, science fiction, and all kinds of humor and comedy. I don’t read thrillers, but I have a great idea for a romantic thriller with a little twist of science fiction. Except for the science fiction part, I have no idea how to write it. I also don’t read serious romance. Bridget Jones is awesome, and so are the Georgia Nicolson books. But those are romantic comedies. Serious romance? I generally find it laughable, and not in a good way.

And yet I’ve written a mostly serious YA romance. I even won third place in a national contest with it. So how did that happen? 

The idea for Ride of Your Life came for me soon after I heard about the Great Adventure Haunted Castle fire that killed eight teenagers in an amusement park in New Jersey on May 11th 1984, almost exactly 32 years ago. It was my way of trying to give a pointless tragedy a happy ending. I knew from the start that it was going to be the story of a love greater than death. But I didn’t want it to be a typical romance. That was never a genre that appealed to me. And it seemed wrong to write a book in a genre I didn’t enjoy reading. So what was I to do?

For a long time, I did nothing. The story was one that stayed in my head and gave me comfort when I needed it. It was a story where death was the beginning, not the end. And sometimes that’s a story I need to hear.

Skip ahead about 25 years. I had trouble deciding what to submit to the Smartwriters’ Write It Now contest for the YA category. I told the members of my critique group, Fantasyweavers, that I had this idea for a story about two teenage ghosts meeting and falling in love in an amusement park. I wrote out the first page, and asked them what they thought. They liked it and encouraged me to write the first chapters I needed to submit. So I did—and the first three chapters of Ride of Your Life won third prize. 

I continued working on it, and a few months later, I submitted it for a critique at a conference. The agent I showed it to liked it, particularly how well I captured a male perspective in the scenes that were shown from Josh’s point of view.

I told that agent, “I have a hard time writing the romantic scenes.”

“Why?” he asked.

“Because romance in books always seems so clichéd. It’s not real. I mean, those kisses in romance novels, no one kisses that way.”

And he told me something that I think about to this day. He said, “If you don’t like writing something, don’t write it.”

At first I thought, “Well, how am I going to write a love story without any of that romantic stuff in it?” But then I realized that wasn’t what he was saying. What he was saying was just because people have been writing romantic scenes one way for decades that doesn’t mean I have to write it that way, too. If it feels wrong to me‑‑if I don’t like writing it that way‑‑I shouldn’t. Instead I should write what feels right to me.

That was so freeing. 

Instead of banging my head trying to write what I thought people expected a romance novel to be, I could just write the story I had in mind. It doesn’t matter if it fits someone else’s label. The only thing that matters is that I’m honest to the story I’m trying to tell.

So that’s why Ride of Your Life is probably different from any love story you’ve ever read. I gave up trying to write a romance novel and instead focused on telling the story of how two teenage ghosts named Tracy and Josh met and fell in love in an amusement park. I liked them. I liked their story. And I liked writing it.

I hope you like reading it, too.

Oh, and if you write romantic thrillers, contact me. Maybe we can write that great book together. I can help with the science fiction twist.

The Girls Heart Books blog tour for Ride of Your Life begins!

The Girls Heart Books blog tour for Ride of Your Life has begun! Even though it's not my most recent book, I decided to do a blog tour now in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Six Flags Great Adventure Haunted Castle Fire, which inspired the novel when I was still a teenager. The book tells the story of Tracy--a seventeen-year-old girl who died in the fire--and Josh--a seventeen-year-old boy who dies in an accident in the same theme park thirty years later.

Ride of Your Life won third prize in SmartWriter's Write It Now contest in the YA category, which was judged by Alex Flinn, the author of Beastly, Cloaked, and more. I hope you'll check it out.

Guerilla Market Your Book! A Guest Post by Peter Adler

Today I'm delighted to present a guest post by Peter Adler, author of Wyndano's Cloak. I asked Peter to share his tips on getting your book into bookstores and face-to-face sales.

Guerilla Market Your Book!

by Peter Adler

Author Peter Adler

In this era of online book marketing, it’s easy to forget the tried and true sales techniques of the past. That would be a shame. The old ways are not only effective but are immensely satisfying. 

Today, I’ll focus on the direct approach, where you engage face to face with potential customers. The ways this can happen are virtually infinite, and are only limited by your creativity and reluctance. 

The more conventional direct approaches include making a presentation at a bookstore, setting up a table at a convention, fair, or outdoor market; or appearing at a library show. Less conventional direct sales techniques utilize guerilla marketing. Let’s look at both conventional and less conventional approaches, emphasizing the latter.

Bookstore presentations fall into two categories:

1) A formal talk, which can include reading an excerpt, showing a video or slide show, and even having a party. One author I know pulls in two hundred or more children to do face painting. She gets donations from local businesses for the food, drinks, and raffle. The events are so well received in her community that she gets media coverage. Talk about bringing attention to your book!

2) Setting up a table and greeting customers as they walk into the store.

I’ve done both types. The most successful for me was the second approach, which I describe in depth in these two posts: Art of the Meet and Greet Part I and Art of the Meet and Greet Part II. 

If you decide to pursue a convention, fair, or outdoor market, but not a bookstore event, take a look at Part II anyway. The techniques I describe will be helpful. Hands down, I’ve sold more books with meet and greets than any other method. They’re fun, and I’ve made lasting contacts. 

For example, I’ve met librarians, teachers, and book-club members interested in having me do a presentation. I met a book blogger who bought and reviewed my novel, Wyndano’s Cloak. I admit, I was a bit terrified of what he’d say; he’d told me in no uncertain terms that he only reads adult suspense thrillers and mysteries, and he would tell me exactly what he thought of my book. Fortunately, he loved it. Not only did he post his review on his blog, Amazon, and Goodreads, but he approached me later for an interview. Then he came back a month ago and asked me to appear at a new indie bookstore, where he coordinates events.

The best part of meet and greets is the interaction with the customers, particularly children. Their excitement at reading books, their excitement at meeting an author, these are priceless. Several have written to me afterward, and as a writer, you know there is nothing better than touching the heart of a reader. Yes, readers who find me online can write to me too, but trust me, that live connection is deeper, more meaningful.

Which brings me to Guerilla Marketing. 

Listen up, folks. You’ve got to walk around with your Kindle! It’s a serious conversation starter.

While waiting for a concert to start, I was reading on my Kindle.  People who haven’t seen them are curious. I ended up demonstrating how it worked and showed the guy next to me what my book looked like. He took down my book info. At the very least, it was exposure. 

One day, I walked into my bank with my Kindle, housed in a green velvet cover my wife made. The teller asked if it was a Kindle, and we got to talking. I asked her what kind of books she likes. Don’t bypass that question. It’s your way of gauging if this person might like your book. With a bashful expression, she confessed she liked young adult fiction and Harry Potter. Bingo! That was my opening. I told her I wrote in that genre and showed her Wyndano’s Cloak on my Kindle. She said that it was exactly what she loved to read. The next time I came in, I brought a copy of the hardback. I ended up at a different window from hers, but I held up the book. She came over and asked if she could look at it. Her eyes were aglow when I left. Long story short, she bought it for her Kindle, loved the book, posted a review on Amazon, and loaned it to another teller. Every time I see her, we talk books and she asks when my next book will come out.

This being my first year in our new house, I had no idea whether children would show up for Halloween. In the past, they never did, but a hunch told me I better ask my neighbor. He said I could expect three bags worth of kids. It was an hour from sundown. I high-tailed it to the store, snagged candy, dashed back home, and started setting up. I already had the new book cover on our wall, so people would see it when I opened the door. I joked with my wife that it was free marketing as I handed out treats. All of sudden she cried, “You’ve got to print copies of the new cover and first chapter! And wear your Renaissance costume.” 

Our dining room window looks out on the front doorstep, so I set up the hardback and new cover on bookstands there. When children and parents came to the door, they saw the display. Free exposure! I gave out the chapter sample to the older kids, who seemed dazzled. They asked me what I was dressed up as. I replied, “The Mage of Aerdem,” referencing the fantasyland in the book. Everywhere else they got a few pieces of candy. Here they got a signed chapter from an author.

If you try any of the above, be polite, and never hard sell. Have fun. Enjoy making connections. Imagination is our stock-in-trade. Put it to use in your marketing. The possibilities are endless!

* * *

  

About the Author: A. R. Silverberry has won a dozen awards, including Gold Medal Winner in the 2011 Benjamin Franklin Awards for Juvenile/Young Adult Fiction; Gold Medal Winner in the 2010 Readers Favorite Awards for Preteen Fiction; and Silver Medal Winner 2011 in the Bill Fisher Award for Best First Book, Children’s/Young Adult. He lives in California, where the majestic coastline, trees, and mountains inspire his writing. Wyndano's Cloak is his first novel. Follow him at the links below!

A. R. Silverberry’s Website
Facebook
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Jen has settled into a peaceful life when a terrifying event awakens old fears—of being homeless and alone, of a danger horrible enough to destroy her family and shatter her world forever. She is certain that Naryfel, a shadowy figure from her past, has returned and is concentrating the full force of her hate on Jen's family. But how will she strike? A knife in the dark? An attack from her legions? Or with the dark arts and twisted creatures she commands with sinister cunning. Wyndano's Cloak may be Jen's only hope. If she’s got what it takes to use it . . . 

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Character bios for Gilbert and Amber from Why My Love Life Sucks

I was asked to share the bios of the main characters from my latest novel, so here they are:

The main characters in Why My Love Life Sucks (The Legend of Gilbert the Fixer, book one) are Gilbert Garfinkle--a.k.a. Gilbert the Fixer--and Amber. Gilbert is the ultimate, teenage geek; and Amber is the gorgeous, vampire girl who wants to turn him into her platonic BFF--literally forever. The story is written from Gilbert’s point of view.

GILBERT GARFINKLE

Age: 17

Goal: to fix the world

Weakness: anything illogical

Favorite things: electronics, lockpicks, fixing things, inventing things, rock-climbing, aikido,  comic books, fantasy & science fiction, The Princess Bride, Albert Einstein, Dungeons & Dragons, his father, his Uncle Ian, his friends

Gilbert loves everything geeky: from Star Trek and Dungeons & Dragons to rock-climbing and inventing electronics. He has a compulsive need to fix things that are broken or can be improved on, and he plans on someday fixing the world. He’s already invented a few things to help him achieve that goal, including his Lablet, which is a cross between a laboratory and a computer tablet. At one time he tried to upload his own conscience into the Lablet, but it turned into a closed-lipped, depressed, animated robot instead. He has no idea why this happened. He is currently inventing a form of artificial intelligence with a will of its own. His father was a very successful chemical engineer who died at the age of 83 when Gilbert was still a toddler. His mother is a self-absorbed gold digger who only married his father for his vast fortune and who loathes even being in the same room as Gilbert. Uncle Ian, his mother’s lawyer, is the only person that Gilbert considers living family, even though they aren’t related. His best friend, Dylan, calls him “Little Dude,” and Gilbert calls Dylan “Big Dude.” He’s had a secret crush on the absolutely brilliant Jenny Chen since they were both six, and he considers Dungeon Master Dave his own personal Yoda, the mentor he turns to for advice. His life isn't perfect, but as far as he’s concerned, it’s pretty good...and it was going to be amazing until the Amber ruined his well thought out plans. His brilliant mind, eidetic memory, sarcastic sense of humor, lockpicking, aikido and rock-climbing skills, various gadgets, and friends are just what he needs to help him solve any mystery and get him out of any jam.

AMBER

Age: claims to be 17, although she appears to be 15

Goal: to turn Gilbert into a vampire and her platonic BFF--literally forever

Weakness: low self-esteem (although she hides it well)

Favorite things: bacon, pizza, candy, her friends, boys, dancing, laughing and smiling, and above all being liked

Why My Love Life Sucks is written from Gilbert’s point of view, and the first time we meet Amber is on the first page. As Gilbert lies paralyzed by her vampire bite, he looks back at the events of the night, starting with what happened when he brought her to his room: “Amber laughed. It was a nice laugh. I felt so relaxed, because she’s so beautiful. They say there’s no point in worrying about the things you can't control, and I figured I didn't have a chance in hell with her. Guess I was right, but not in the way I thought.” Aside from being drop-dead gorgeous, seemingly sweet, funny and quick, asking Gilbert to kiss her, and the whole turning-him-into-a-vampire thing, she remains mostly a puzzle for the start of the book, a puzzle Gilbert feels compelled to figure out. And he does figure out some of it by the end of this book. But there’s a lot more to Amber than meets the eye, and it will take the rest of the series for readers and Gilbert--and in some ways Amber herself--to truly know who and what she is.

Top 10 Reasons to Date a Geek (like Gilbert)

Geeks (or nerds) are our most undervalued resource. The meek might inherit the earth someday, but the geeks will definitely inherit the stars! 

Here are ten reasons why geeks make the best boyfriends or girlfriends:

1. Passionate

As Gilbert Garfinkle tells Amber in Why My Love Life Sucks (The Legend of Gilbert the Fixer, book one) , all geeks are passionate about something: “The very definition of being a geek is that you love something just because you love it, not because someone is telling you you should, but in spite of them telling you you shouldn't. There's no greater love than geek love. If you're lucky, maybe someday you'll find it too.”

2. Intelligent

It takes a certain genius to be a true geek.

3. Fun

Who better to watch Doctor Who with than a fellow Whovian? What do you mean, you've never seen an episode of Doctor Who? Well then, you are in for a treat! Just try to get to the episodes with Amy and Rory quickly. They're the most romantic couple on TV ever. And you can watch The Princess Bride together, and he can tell you, “As you wish,” and... 

You are just going to have so much fun together.  

4. Likely to get rich someday

That’s true in Gilbert’s case, anyway. He’s a computer genius who invents things. True, he’s not really interested in money, but the potential is definitely there.

5. Happy and often funny

Geeks are happy because they've found something they love. And while not all geeks are funny, many have a great sense of humor. Gilbert does.

6. Inventive

Whether your geek is into designing software, writing science fiction, or drawing comic books, he or she is sure to come up with creative ways to express his or her love for you.

7. Appreciative

Geeks generally don't expect to be loved, so when they are, they appreciate the one who loves them.

8. Doesn't judge

You know those people who only want to hang out with the popular crowd and who dress and look a certain way and wouldn't dare deviate from what's currently considered cool? Those people aren't geeks, and they have no idea what they're missing.

9. Loves you for who you are

A geek cares most about what's in your heart and would never ask you to change for him or her.

10. Encourages you to express your own geeky side

Stop caring about what people might think. Is there something you love so much you want the world to know? Then tell the world! You'll soon find you aren't alone. There's someone out there who is as geeky about that thing as you are, and you can share that limitless passion together.

10 + 1 Songs from the Unofficial Why My Love Life Sucks Soundtrack

I love all kinds of storytelling. When I was little, right up until the year before I graduated from college, I wanted to write and direct TV shows and movies. But then I found out that writers and directors never really have full control over the stories they tell, which is why I decided to become a novelist instead. My stories, though, still play like TV shows or movies in my head--with soundtracks and everything.

So here is the unofficial soundtrack for my funny, geek-centric YA novel: Why My Love Life Sucks (The Legend of Gilbert the Fixer, book one). These are songs I hear in my head when I think of certain scenes and characters from the book. Click on the song title to follow the link to a YouTube video.

10 + 1 Songs from the Unofficial Why My Love Life Sucks: The Legend of Gilbert the Fixer (part one) Soundtrack

Intro: “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” by Eric Idle (Monty Python)

Chapter one: “Breakeven” by The Script.

Chapter three (Amber): “She’s So High Above Me” by Tal Bachman

Chapter three: “I’m Going to Go Back There Someday” (Gonzo’s Song from The Muppet Movie, with clips from Life on Mars, cover version by Paula Jarvis)

Chapter four: “Crazy” by Seal

Chapter five: “I Gotta Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas (Oprah show flash-mob version)

Chapter 10: “Galaxies” by Owl City

Chapter 12: “D & D” by Stephen Lynch

Chapter 16: “Fix You” by Coldplay

Epilogue: “May It Be” by Enya from The Lord of the Rings soundtrack

As the credits roll: “My Life Would Suck Without You” by Kelly Clarkson

Top 10 Reasons Why Gilbert Garfinkle's Love Life Sucks

Here's one of several requested guest posts I wrote specifically for a recent blog tour that, due to technical problems, were never posted. I'll post the others over the coming days.

Top 10 Reasons Why Gilbert Garfinkle's Love Life Sucks

SPOILER ALERT: Why does Gilbert Garfinkle's love life suck? Why My Love Life Sucks (The Legend of Gilbert the Fixer, book one) slowly reveals the answer to that question, so if you'd rather not read any spoilers before reading the book, stop here. Otherwise...

1. The beautiful, mysterious, and seemingly sweet Amber is the first girl he's ever kissed. She's also a vampire who bites him, sucks his blood, leaves him paralyzed and in pain, and later tells him she did it because she wants him to be her platonic BFF--literally forever. She likes him a lot, just not “that way.” Isn't that reason enough?

2. He's had a crush on the absolutely amazing Jenny Chen since the day she let him fix her camera when they were both six, but he’s too afraid to tell her. What if it ruins their friendship, and she never wants to see him again? It would be a pain worse than death.

3. His mother constantly reminds him that the only reason a pretty girl would want to be with someone like him is for money. That's the only reason why she married his brilliant father, and although Gilbert badly wants to be like his father, he's also afraid of falling into a golddigger’s trap.

4. His mother is beautiful, and she loathes him. That makes beautiful girls in general terrifying.  

5. Gilbert needs everything to make sense. Love. Doesn't. Make. Sense.

6. Delilah Jones, the former school bully turned domineering school queen bee, insists he take her out in an expensive car to an expensive restaurant. Considering she only dates guys who can help her move up the social ladder at school and geeks like him are at the bottom of that social ladder, that doesn't make sense.

7. Gilbert has a compulsive need to take apart, figure out, and fix things. He can't do that with a girl. Case in point: Amber. If she's not at all attracted to him like she says, why does she want to spend eternity with him and not her boyfriend?

8. When he’s in the presence of a girl he’s attracted to, he doesn’t think. That’s never a good idea.

9. After Amber bites Gilbert, girls are suddenly attracted to his vampire charm. That terrifies him, which brings out a “bite or flight” response--and he doesn’t want to bite anyone. Ever.

10. He was starting to fall for Amber before she bit him, and his eidetic memory means he'll never forget the pain and terror he felt when she did. How will he ever get past this connection his brain has made between opening his heart and the greatest pain he’s ever known?

~*~*~

Also, it's love. It sucks. The trick is to forget that and fall in love anyway. And maybe, if you're really lucky, for at least a few glimmering moments, life in general won't suck so much.

An interview with a grown-up teen novelist: Michelle Izmaylov

What advice would you give to a teenager who wants to be a published author? 

This is complicated. On one hand, you have to be realistic about the challenges facing you in the future and realize that you’re not going to get famous in a single day. Thinking otherwise sets up unrealistic expectations that may cause writers to get disillusioned with the publishing process as a whole. On the other hand, it’s important to remember that you will improve and people will begin to take notice of your writing in the long run. My best advice is to try your very hardest and keep on trucking no matter who tries to get you down, but also be realistic about how difficult getting published can be. Also, don’t count on writing to be your primary career. Even published author almost always have an alternative job that pays the bills. Writing isn’t all that financially lucrative, though it’s good for your spiritual health.

Do you think entering contests is a good idea? If so, is there a contest you would particularly recommend that young writers enter? 

Yes and no. The trouble with contests is that on one hand you definitely increase opportunities for exposure of your writing. On the other hand, it’s easy to lose self-esteem if you lose at a young age. The best thing is to enter contests with realistic expectations and to keep striving to get better even if things don't work out.

What’s the hardest part of writing and publishing a book?

The most challenging aspect is two-fold. First, procrastination and getting easily distracted while writing is a major issue (especially with how readily available the Internet is these days). Second, and more seriously, is the issue of revision. It’s one thing to write a first draft. It’s an entirely different story to have the perseverance in editing your own work, going over and over until you iron out problems that may have cropped up along the way. It’s even harder to get halfway through a novel and realize you didn’t actually write what you wanted to write. At that point it’s important to step back and understand when it’s better to start over, not to mention having the willpower to do so.

To what do you attribute your success? 

There’s a general rule of thumb that says it takes 10,000 hours of practice to get good at any given thing. I'm still nowhere near as good as I hope to be another five or ten years down the road, but I've spend a good amount of time working on various writing projects over the years that have helped refine my abilities. I also feel like it’s important to be more than just “an author.” Writing is for me a hobby, not a job. It’s something I turn to when I have inspiration rather than something I force out of myself. 

What are the advantages and disadvantages of publishing at your age? 

One of the easiest advantages to pinpoint is that the younger you are, the more unusual it is for you to have actually completed a book. Therefore it’s easier to get public and media attention, which will in turn help get word out about your writing. On the other hand, younger writers (including myself at my present age) still have a lot to learn about the world as we refine our philosophical perspectives and have new experiences to add to our existing repertoire. The younger you are, the more challenging it is to write an unusual and well-crafted work honestly worthy of public attention.

What’s the single best piece of advice you've received? 

One of the things that’s always stuck with me is put your nose to the grindstone and work hard. Fairytales can come true, but not from wishing. You have to work hard every single day to make them reality, which is what I’ve tried to do these past years of my life.

Thanks, Michelle!

Michelle Izmaylov's latest novel, Ricochet, is available from Amazon.