Rebecca Ross's Blog, page 28

* 2019 Becca to 2015 Becca * : Hey! In 4 years you’ll be holding...

* 2019 Becca to 2015 Becca * : Hey! In 4 years you’ll be holding 14 different editions of your first 2 books.

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* 2015 Becca * : Ummm what? No way. I won’t believe it until I see them/hold them/smell the pages.

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* 2019 Becca * : Okay yeah, I had a feeling you’d say that. All that matters is that you keep going, keep dreaming, keep writing. Don’t give up. Don’t lose heart.

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Holding every edition of RISING and RESISTANCE that I’ve received since this wild journey began (and there’s still a few more foreign editions out there that I haven’t seen yet!). Do you see any you recognize or own in this stack?

Hi, I just finished The Queen's’s Resistance, and I wanted to tell you that I loved the series. My friend got me into the first one and we waited patiently until the sequel was published where we live. Now I have to wait for her to read the book so we can

Oh, thank you so much! You just made my day! :) 

Any current book recommendations??

Some books I loved recently:

The Bird and the Blade by Megan Bannon

Onyx and Ivory by Mindee Arnett

Lovely War by Julie Berry

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli

Before you wrote TQR, did you ever “learn” how to write a book—or did you just kind of intuitively do it?! I tried coming up with a plot to write a book—but I literally could not come up with problems for the character to face, what spurs their (spiritual

I wrote a book before TQR that was the most cliche fantasy ever. It was not a well crafted story, but it taught me A LOT about how to pace, how to plot, how to develop characters. All in all, it was several months worth of a trial run, but it was preparing me for TQR.

I think learning how to write a book comes with experience, which means you gotta roll up your sleeves and hack through the woods and figure it out as you go, and learn as you go, which can be frustrating but no writing–even the writing you might think is terrible and cliche–is ever wasted.

If you are struggling to come up with problems to fuel your story, or how to structure the character arcs, I recommend that you read. Read some of your favorite books and take note as to how those authors structured their plot. When did things start happening? When did plot twists or revelations happen? How did the characters respond? What is the main character’s motivation or goal, and how did the author create the challenges that impede them? 

You will continue to grow into a stronger writer the more you practice your craft by writing, and also by the more you read.

Would you be willing/able to offer advice for beginner writers on their plot ideas (through Instagram dms or something)? I have a few ideas that I want to develop into something more, but I’ve never written a book before so I have no idea how to start and

I wish I could! But right now I am under multiple deadlines and I unfortunately have to put all of my focus on the projects I’m juggling.

But if you’re looking for some advice and wonderful resources for all stages of drafting and publishing, may I recommend Susan Dennard’s fantastic website? Years ago, just before I began drafting TQR and was trying to figure out the mysteries of writing and publishing, I came across her website and it is a gold mine of knowledge. I learned SO MUCH from her. She also writes some fantastic YA fantasies, if you’re looking for a new book to read.

Here’s her website if you’re interested: https://susandennard.com/for-writers/

Hi, Rebecca!! Do you think it is better to go ahead and start promoting your unpublished novel via social media or a website or something like that, or wait until you get an agent and/or publishing deal? Thank you so much, and I'm looking forward to Sister

Hi and thank you so much! :D

I think it’s always a great idea and fun to talk about your writing process, or to give some updates about what you’re working on, or talk about your characters, or share a few things like a Pinterest board or a playlist that corresponds to your book. I always love to hear about fellow author’s projects, even if they can’t share too many details yet.

I will say most of you promotion is going to happen after your book deal, when you are about a year out from pub date. You’ll have your cover art by then that you can unveil, and the official synopsis, and you can start sharing quotes and character art if you have such things commissioned, etc. It makes more sense to wait until then, because readers have the official release date to look forward to, and it gets them excited as that release date gets closer. 

But it’s truly up to you and what you feel comfortable doing! :)

Firstly, I want you to know you've been a huge inspiration to me, both personally and artistically! I've been working on a fantasy novel for years - the only story I've ever written that I can't forget about - and really want to start querying agents, but

Hi there!

That’s very exciting, and I know exactly how you’re feeling. It actually took me a couple of years to find a few beta readers who I feel like are great match for what I write, because it is important that you find readers who love the sort of things you produce, and who are also going to give you the feedback you need. 

The best way to find someone like that is to begin interacting with other writers, because, most likely, you’re going to find a great match with another author. Is there a facebook forum you can join? Are you present on Twitter? If so, can you use hashtags to find fellow writers such as yourself, who may be open to swapping manuscripts? Is there a book club or a writer’s group at your school or your community that you can join and start making connections? 

I know all of these things kinda sound scary, but it truly is one of the best ways to find readers who might be a great fit for you, or another author who would love to do a manuscript swap with you and provide you some great feedback.

“Faeries, come take me out of this dull world,For I would ride...

“Faeries, come take me out of this dull world,

For I would ride with you upon the wind,

Run on the top of the dishevelled tide,

And dance upon the mountains like a flame.”

—William Butler Yeats

✨ Look at where you started. See how far you’ve come. ✨ Are any...

✨ Look at where you started. See how far you’ve come. ✨ Are any of you participating in National Novel Writing Month? I’m not *technically* doing it, since I’m heavily revising & under multiple deadlines, but I still love the energy & excitement & motivation that teems among writers during cold, golden November. ✨ How are your drafts coming along? Keep writing and pressing onward, my friends! You never know which characters might find you this month, or where your words & stories may lead you. ✨

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4xbxnnA_V1/?igshid=1stn4y6f06g5i

Dried eucalyptus + a cup of chai + my first pass pages for...

Dried eucalyptus + a cup of chai + my first pass pages for SISTERS!