I was delighted to be asked by Bonnier Zaffre to join the blogtour for Lisa Selin Davis’ new YA novel ‘Lost Stars or what Lou Reed taught me about love’
Published by Hot Key Books, a division of Bonnier Zaffre, on the 6th October 2016, Lisa’s novel is a story about love lost & found and deals with the subject of teenage grief.
A poignant, coming-of-age novel.
Lisa has kindly written a guest post for us about the ‘Do’s and Don’ts of Writing’ which I do hope you enjoy.
I have also read & reviewed Lost Stars which you can read here:
https://www.swirlandthread.com/review-lost-stars-lisa-selin-davis/
Do’s and Don’ts of Writing
DO: Write every day, no matter what.
Set a dedicated amount of time, or try to write a certain number of words, if you need to. Or: just free-write, just start writing and see where it takes you.
The main thing is: pen to paper, fingers to keyboard, every day.
DON’T: Don’t talk about what you’re going to write; wait until you’ve already written it.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t think about it, or even run some ideas by people whose opinions you trust. But sometimes when you say, “I’m going to write a novel about a zombie that comes to life when the cutest boy in school thinks she’s just wearing a costume and kisses her on a dare…”
The problem with talking about it in detail first is that you may never actually write that. You may start typing and realize that what’s on the page differs from what you announced you’d be writing, and that can stifle you, make you think you’re doing it wrong.
You are doing it right, as long as you’re writing.
DO: Write because you want to, because it’s in your blood.
DON’T: Don’t write because you think it will make you deeper and someone will like you more. That may be true, but it’s not the best way to start.
To write for approval is to set yourself up for disappointment, even if you end up getting tons of praise.
Stave off the desire for approbation. If you can.
DO: Power your way past any voices of doubt, any notion that you’re not talented enough, that no one will care what you have to say.
Believe in yourself and your power to wield words.
Get out of your own way.
DON’T: Don’t give a crap what anybody thinks. Well, that’s not exactly true!!
Listen carefully to those whose opinions you trust, and tune everything else out.
DO: Steel yourself for rough waters.
This sounds so negative, but it must be said: the writing life can be full of rejection. Remain steadfast, and don’t let naysayers—or magazines or publishers who reject your work, or the mean people who comment on it once it’s been published—dissuade you from your task, your goal, your heart’s desire.
No matter what happens, just keep typing.
DON’T: Don’t take too many social media breaks. Try to set aside some distraction-free time.
As you well know, social media can radically alter your mood (for better or worse).
Try to have some time where nothing exists but the page you’re writing.
DO: Consider joining a writer’s group, where you can share and critique others’ work. Or at the very least, be open to feedback from people you trust. And it doesn’t have to be from other writers.
Sometimes people are great readers, even if they’re not great writers.
Lisa thank you so much for taking the time to write this post for us with alot of very salient and prevalent pointers for ALL writers.
We can all take something from what you have written.
To purchase a copy of Lisa’s new YA novel Lost Stars or what Lou Reed taught me about love please click here :
About the author:
Lisa Selin Davis is originally from Saratoga Sprins, N.Y., where she spent summers playing and listening to music with her (older) friends and riding her bike.
She has written articles for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine and many other publications.
She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two kids, and a very old cat.
You can find out more about Lisa at: http://www.lisaselindavis.com/
or you can follow her tweeting at :http://www.twitter.com/LisaSelinDavis
(Photo courtesy of Dave Bigler)
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