Writing tips
Advice to young writers
Fantasy author Sarah J Maas published her first novel online at the age of just 16. She has since gained a big online fanbase, and this year published her first novel in print – Throne of Glass.
Here, she offers some words of advice to young aspiring authors:
I began writing Throne of Glass when I was 16 —and it became a project that I worked on through high school and college, and several years after that. I decided by the end of high school that I wanted to be a professional writer—that I wanted to publish Throne of Glass. Little did I know just how long it’d take me to reach that goal.
Writing as a teen (and later, as a young adult in college) was certainly not an easy thing to do, especially when I had loads of homework and extra-curriculars to juggle. But those years I spent writing as a teen were crucial in my development as a writer. And even though I didn’t realise these things at the time, hindsight is 20/20—and these are my best bits of advice to any young writer:
1. Read. A lot. This is probably the most obvious bit of advice, but read as much as you can. Read what your professors assign you, but also make time to read for fun. Honestly, school nearly crushed the love of reading right out of me. I didn’t get to read the books I was interested in for class, and analyzing them one after another made me forget the sheer joy and entertainment that comes from curling up with a book. So, make time to read the books you love, and never be ashamed of them, even if they’re considered uncool or unintellectual.
2. Draw your inspiration from everywhere. Go to museums, take art classes, see movies you have no interest in seeing… Take the time to observe people: how they talk, how they move, how they interact. Keep your eyes open wherever you go, because you never know when inspiration will strike.
3. Be open to criticism and don’t be afraid to get your writing out there. Take a creative writing class (they’re not as scary as you think!), ask a favorite teacher to read your work, or wrangle your friends into reading whatever material you produce. Being able to accept and incorporate criticism is one of the hardest things to do—and one of the most crucial to our professions. Learning to accept it will only help you in the long run—and will help your writing improve. As Lloyd Alexander once wrote (in Taran Wanderer): 'Metal’s worthless till it’s shaped and tempered.'
4. Pay attention in history class. Okay, this is mostly just related to writing fantasy, but you’d be surprised by how much my history classes have helped out my writing. I frequently kick myself for not paying more attention in high school—and for not taking more history classes in college.
5. Write whenever you can, however you can. I shouldn’t say this, but I wrote during my classes (only math and excruciatingly boring seminars, I swear!). I also wrote on week nights (after homework), weekends, holiday vacations, trips to various parts of the world… No matter what I was doing, no matter where I was, I always made time to write. Not because I felt like it was an obligation/requirement, but because it was something I HAD to do—because my stories were something I HAD to get out of me, had to write down.
People will tell you not to write. Don’t listen to them. They will tell you your writing isn’t good, and that you shouldn’t be writing the kind of stories that are in your heart (believe me, as a fantasy author, I’ve gotten that a LOT). But keep writing. I only made it to publication because I kept writing—because I wrote whenever and however I could, because I wrote what I loved.
6. Live your life. This is the most important bit of advice I can give you. Go out with your friends. Get in trouble (but not too much). Travel. Meet interesting and diverse people. Live a full life (writing whenever you have some spare time, of course), and enjoy every moment of it. I can’t begin to tell you how many of my real life experiences influenced my writing—how a twisted ankle and a bruised knee (the prize of a wild night out with friends on iced-over streets) can become a realistic-sounding injury in your novel. Be curious—be open to anything. But live your life. Because good, brave living means good, brave writing.
Writing
Donate
Have you read?
Most popular
- Most popular
- Most reviewed books
Comments
I will definitely use these tips, I'm a bookworm and I love reading!!! I will really try to write more and often!
This ....It makes me happy
How much did it cost for you to publish your book and who did you publish with?
Excellent advise. Also, I am totally with you on number 5. I am guilty of writing during my university classes. Canadian Poetry has never been more inspiring.
I'd love to be a writer one day, and found this advice very inspiring. I write whenever I can, because I think it sets my mind free. Sarah, if you are reading this, please let me know how to get noticed/published and help me accomplish my dream.
...because good, brave living means good, brave writing...Halllujah...
Johan Olivier
Fab advice I am only 10 and my first piece was published in a book called 'Mini Sagas' at this time I was only 8 years old
thanks for your advices.
I write and write and get no where. My stories just stay on my computer. I have no luck what so ever.
This is great advice :) As a 19 year old uni student, its so difficult to find time to keep up with my writing, but I can't help scribbling ideas during the slightly more boring lectures! My ambition is to become a writer, and even though I've sent off my work to various people, this has helped me to realise I just need to keep trying. Thank you!
Ok........ I'll bear that in mind.......
Ok........ I'll bear that in mind.......
this advice is tremendously helpful as you don't often come across writers writing such helpful writing tips. i strongly agree with the tips 'read a lot' and 'write whenever you can' as this has helped me a lot in my writing
You have utterly AMAZING advice! Don't think I'm over the top; I am only hanging on the will to write because other people think I'm weird for reading so much. Now I've got an excuse! You!(apart from that:the excuse thing, your advice is very inspiring)
i found this advise really helpful as i am absolutely dying to become a writer. i already knew that reading helps as that has worked tremendously for me. in the future, i am want to write a book, but not yet because i don't want my school work to get in the way.
This has helped me a lot and it's made me want to push myself to get published now. Thank you.
Thanks so much for the tips. I am fifteen and devote nearly every piece of spare time to my story writing. I love it dearly, and thanks again totally inspiring!
Thank you so much for your best advice. I am Cambodian. I love reading books. I want to be a part of American writer. For one year, I have been writing two books in English languages. Then, I gave my friends to read it, but they said it's not good. I am sad a little bit, but when I read your advice..it makes me brave to writing as much as I can. Thank you!
I've been writing a book for the last year and a half, I'm getting there slowly. and as a 17 year old in 6th form, it's really hard to keep on writing and reading! but seeing that you've been through what I'm going through now really helps me out, and I now know I can achieve becoming a scipt and fiction writer :)
Ive been writing my first book every Saturday since I was 13 but now I near the end two years later I am unsure how to get published and all the publishers I've heard of need an agents approval which I am unsure how to get
i really do LOVE writing and reading fantasy books. But my problem is, whenever i knew an inspiration just sprouted out, my mind wanders very far and the moment i came to reality ,its gone, and i will have a writers block again. Or sometimes theres just too many words coming out and you dont know which one to write first, then in a split second, all is gone. But i will surely try and practice your advice and hopefully i can manage to control my wandering thoughts effectively!
I think this is really good advice and i will definitely do all the things on this list i love writing and reading but i sometimes find it very hard to find inspiration and even when i do it is usually only for a little while and then my mind goes blank again and I take creative writing in school wright now but i dont think i am very good at it and i love history so i just hope i can be a better writer.
thats really inspiring i want to become a writer but it kind of scares me when ever i think that my writing will not get published or that i cant write well. but after this i will try my best to write as much as i can. thank you!
Add a comment