I was already interested in creative writing by the time I started high school, but up until then, I usually was writing short stories. The book that really influenced me to be a novel writer was SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson.
I was so drawn to Melinda's character, to why she couldn't speak, to her situation. All because when I had spoken up about something, it ended up backfiring on me and suddenly I was the victim of tons of teasing and being talked about behind my back in junior high that carried into high school because of some mean junior high kids. I mean, I was always quiet growing up, so speaking up was HUGE for me, and it ended up being a really unwise decision. Anyway, my connection to Melinda in that way was major for me. And Anderson's writing was amazing too.
I suddenly wanted to write a novel. And I did. Though, my first ever attempt was such a ripoff of SPEAK and I didn't finish it when a teacher assistant I told my story idea to compared it to that book.
By January of my freshman year, I had a cool sci-fi dream that developed into an idea for a YA sci-fi book. I finished it on my 16th birthday sophomore year. I was so freaking happy I finished writing a book.
Funny story - two guys who asked me about my Dell computer noted I had a writing self-help book titled, You Can Write a Novel and asked me about my book. I told them it was a YA sci-fi where two teens save the world. They joked that they'd see me two years later on Oprah. Hahaha.
But anyway, while revising, I joined the amazing writer forum, Absolute Write. And then I discovered my writing SUCKED. I was ripped apart in the critique forum.
I've come a long way since then, September 2007. In high school, I used to write speculative fiction, but by graduation, after dumping my ass of a boyfriend, I started writing YA romance and fell so in love with the genre. It fit too because I was such (still am) a hopeless romantic.
And that's how I began writing novels and later my current genre.
I'm so happy there are fantastic books like SPEAK for inspiration. Before then, I had been a voracious reader. And now I'm more of a writer who reads on the side.
So now I offer the question to any writers reading this post: What inspired you to write novels?
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
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4 lovely comments:
I wish i could say something as wonderful as Speak encouraged me to be a writer, but I didn't pick that one up until way later. I'm one of the S. Meyers wannabees I guess, though I've come a long way since then.
It's good you came a long way! And it's totally fine you were one of the S. Meyer wannabes. I'd probably be one too if I hadn't already been writing lol
I'm not sure if I can remember a specific inspiration. It was just something I did and then that doing began to grow. I love your story though.
That's cool that it was just something you did! I think that was the case for me with short story writing before the novel writing for me. But it was SPEAK that made me take the leap from being mostly a reader to mostly a writer. Thanks for loving my story!
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