\t\t\tSeven writing lessons we learned from Ruta Sepetys. \t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 \t\t\t
\t\t
| | | | | | In this day and age, there's a lot of pressure to excel in everything we do, whether it's maintaining our health, perfecting a recipe, or creating an award-winning piece. But New York Times best-selling author and Carnegie Medal winner, Ruta Sepetys, reminds us that it's alright to struggle at first. Read about her advice and other lessons we've picked up from her. |
|
| | | Start with something that interests you.
Aside from putting the right words down on paper, a writer's pain point is searching for inspiration on what to write about. It's quite overwhelming, especially for budding writers. "I often tell people, start with what interests you the most, and if there is just one detail, hunt down that detail. Pulling that thread, it will keep your interest,” Sepetys shared.
|
|
| | | Ask sense memory questions.At one point, Sepetys dedicated five to seven years to researching one of her books and had to interview as many as 50 to 100 people. She noted, “Instead of asking a question that can be answered simply, like in Between Shades of Gray, was it cold? What I do is ask sense memory questions: the night you were arrested, take me there, walk me through it." In doing this, you're immersing yourself in the scene and capturing the small details that make the story come alive.
|
|
| | | Right after the interview, start writing.
This is one of the greatest writing tips we've received during the event. We often have the habit of discarding material right after interviews. We convince ourselves it needs a breather (and so do we), but over time, it gets lost when we wait it out. So, it's time to put in some conscious effort to write while it's still fresh. |
|
| | | Give yourself permission to write poorly.
People have this misconception that authors write perfectly the first time around or that if you're an author, you're automatically considered as someone who has no record of grammatical errors. Sepetys shared, “My first drafts are like screenplays, they’re all dialogue…and they’re so bad. I give myself permission to write poorly. My rewriting is re-writing. And so I rewrite every book 15 to 17 times before it goes into editing.” |
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | Connect with us to find your next great reads |
|
| | | You are receiving this email because you subscribed to our newsletter.Unsubscribe |
|
|
| |
|
| Fully Booked
B6 Bonifacio High Street
Bonifacio Global City
1603 Taguig City
Philippines
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
![]()
