Someday You'll Write

by Elizabeth Yates, Debbie Parker (Editor)

Drawing from a lifetime of writing experience, Elizabeth Yates shares her thoughts with young On inspiration "If an idea seizes you--and that is a form of inspiration for the writer--see how you can make it serve your purpose at the time, and decide where you want to go with it." On persistence "If your heart is really set on what you are doing, you will find the time and the place and the persistence within your own self to do it." On the opinions of others "Writing never appears to be work, or serious, except to the writer, and you might just as well get used to that attitude now and come to terms with it." Miss Yates gives practical answers to writers' How will I know when I'm ready to write? How can I keep my reader interested? What about stories that are true? How can I keep going?

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Middle Grade, High School

93 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

Elizabeth Yates, author of over forty books for children, was born in New York State on December 6th, 1905. Determined to be an author, she moved to New York City to launch her career. She worked a variety of jobs including reviewing book, writing short stories, and doing research. She moved to England with her husband and wrote her first book, High Holiday, based on her travels in Switzerland with her three children. The family returned to the U.S. in 1939 and settled in New Hampshire. Yates won the Newbery Award in 1951 for her book, Amos Fortune, Free Man, a biography of an African prince who is enslaved and taken to America.

Yates conducted writer's workshops at the University of New Hampshire, the University of Connecticut, and Indiana University. She also served as the Director of the New Hampshire Association for the Blind.

Yates was widowed in 1963. Elizabeth Yates died Sunday at a hospice in Concord, New Hampshire on July 29, 2001 at the age of 95.

Elizabeth Yates' books have been described as "the result of extensive research, a strong underlying belief in God, and a vivid imagination."

Reviews

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yates strikes a wonderful tone here, breaking down the complexities of a longterm pursuit of the writing life without talking down. Recommended for young readers, but I gleaned gems myself!

[Esther Filbrun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been a fan of Elizabeth Yates’ writing for years now, and somewhere along the line, when buying what I could find of her books, this one made it onto the list. I’ve loved fictional writing for years, and intend to develop that skill in the future as I can—although my writing has been more or less restricted to the nonfiction world for the past few years. This year, I decided to read some books on writing—even if I didn’t manage to make time for putting words to paper myself, perhaps I’d be inspired by what other people had to say on the subject. This was my fifth “writing” book that I’ve read for the year, and it’s got to be among my favorites—and not just because I love Yates’ style!

One of my favorite things about this book is that it’s aimed at middle-grade readers, those who want to become authors someday, but for now are just playing around with words and stories, concepts and ideas. There’s nothing presumptuous about Elizabeth’s presentation style; she just shares what works for her, gives practical advice for little things wanna-be writers can do now to grow their style and strengthen their work, and piles on the encouragement that not only is this something that should be done, but it’s a gift—to yourself and to the world.

One of my favorite themes of this book is that as writers, we are to see and transmit something of wonder, beauty, and truth to our readers—that gave me a lot to think about, but was also greatly encouraging!

Although aimed at middle graders, I think just about anyone who wants to write (or is already writing!) would find this book encouraging. I read it in just a couple of days—it’s a short, easy read. It’s definitely one I’m planning to keep on the shelf, and I’m also planning on sharing it with younger writers in my life when I have the chance.

[Anson Cassel Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elizabeth Yates (1905-2001) was a children’s author best known for Amos Fortune, Free Man , which won the Newberry Medal in 1951. This short work is intended to encourage young readers who would like to write themselves, addressing such typical questions as, “How will I know when I'm ready to write?” and “How can I keep my reader interested?”

[Alyssa Bohon · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Written by an author who believes truly that only the best is good enough for the young."

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, simple encouragement for an aspiring author.

[Rodney Haydon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very nice book for young readers who want to become writers.

[Bethybubbles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great information written very creatively.