Show Notes – Top 10 Tips For Aspiring Authors:

Should you be attending events if you want to expand your career?

I recently attended the 2018 SCBWI conference in Los Angeles and I’d say… yes! It’s very important to attend events. Events are great place to learn and network, plus you have an opportunity to be part of a like-minded community, which is a good thing.

The top 10 tips for aspiring authors:

• Tip #1: Be you, do you. – Kirsten Hall (author/agent)
  • Write what you feel strongly about instead of what you think you should write about.
• Tip #2: Remember the child within you. – Mike Curato (author/illustrator)
  • Tap into experiences and feelings you had
  • What was it like to feel lonely?
• Tip #3: Turn struggles into strengths:
  • Some of your darkest moments make the best stories. – Lynda Mullaly Hunt (author)
  • Tap into those dark spots when creating.
  • People want to feel something through your stories.
• Tip #4: Write Every Day. – Andrea Davis Pinkney (author/vice president, executive editor at Scholastic Books)
  • Example of her daily routine (she gets up at 4 am!).
• Tip #5: Perseverance is key to your success.
  • An illustrator I met went 18 years without being published.
  • A writer I met wrote 6 books before 1 was published.
• Tip #6: Celebrate every victory.
  • It’s easy to get discouraged so celebrate the little wins along the way.
• Tip #7: Find creative ways to connect and to show connections in your writing. – Lois Lowry (author)
  • Connections between people is key.
• Tip #8: Find inspiration in unexpected places
  • No passion, hobby, or experience is too small. – Eliza Wheeler (author/illustrator)
  • Are you inspired by nature? A trip? An argument?
• Tip #9: Revise like an editor.
  • First line is the most important – make it your best!
  • Ask yourself, “Would this grab my attention?”
• Tip #10: Find 5 books you want to be next to at the book store. – Jenny Bent (editor/agent)
  • What do they look like? How are they positioned in the market?
• Tip #11: Master Your Mindset.
  • Life is about the journey not the destination. Keep things in perspective.
  • Look for success in multiple areas in life.

Helpful Resources:

• Previous episode about Mindset and overcoming negative thinking.