Lynn asked Jessica Day George:

I really want to become an author, but I'm only 12. Do you have any tips on how to become a published author at this age? I want to write a fantasy novel, but I can't think of any ideas. How do you get inspiration? Do you have a method that you use to actually plan out and write your books?

Jessica Day George Okay, there's a lot to unpack here. First of all: Yay! More authors! Go, you! Second: I don't know how to become traditionally published at age 12, no. My advice to anyone who wants to be an author is that you make sure you read, and widely, not just fantasy, write whatever ideas you have and keep those ideas because you never know when you'll use them! But now to unpack the rest of your questions: If you don't have any ideas for a book, why do you want to be an author? I don't want you to ignore something that you might be better at, because you are chasing down being an author just because you . . . I don't know, want to be rich or something. (Being an author doesn't really mean you're rich, btw.) If you need ideas, though, all I can tell you is what I said before: read. Read lots. And any time you have an idea, even if it's just like, "Girl with brown hair, named Anthea, loves horses." Write that idea down and save it until the rest of the story starts coming. I don't really plan out my books, I just go where the story takes me.

Good luck to you!

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