Hallie
Hallie asked Cornelia Funke:

Hi Cornelia!! I was wondering what pieces of advice you had for youth who are aspiring to be authors? Thanks so much for taking the time to answer all of these questions!! :)

Cornelia Funke 1.
be curious. About everything in the world and about yourself.
2.
remember that you owe your readers to not just write about yourself (we are all not that interesting) but that as a writer you fish for words and stories to give them to those who don't find the right words for what they love and hate, wish for and fear. The task of the storyteller is a very important one and comes with great responsibility.
3.
write your first draft by hand - into an A4 notebook. Write on the right page, leave the left page empty for changes, thoughts, pictures...anything that will make your story richer.
create a notebook for every story idea you have. Be patient with yourself. Gather ideas, inspiring images, facts etc. Fill the suitcase before you go on the journey.
make the notebooks beautiful so that you can't stay away from them:)
4.
always have something to writ with and to write into with you- the best ideas come at the wrong time and in the wrong place and you need to catch them!
5.
good stories feed on your time and passion. They ask for endless patience, fearlessness, they want to be read aloud and they won't sing until you learned to be your own and cruelest editor.

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