Tessa Emily Hall spent her teen
years writing about an imaginary girl whose life was far more interesting than
her own. This resulted in PURPLE MOON (LPC), a 2014 Selah finalist. Her
work has been published in various magazines, including Devozine, Guide Magazine,
and Temperance Magazine. She also enjoys
making homemade lattes, cuddling with her Teacup Shih-Tzu, and acting in
Christian films. Tessa’s passionate about writing inspirational yet authentic
YA fiction and encouraging teens to pursue their passions. You can find her on
her website, blog, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook.
I began
my writing journey when I was fifteen years old.
No, my
book wasn’t published then. In fact, I was just beginning to write the first
draft of what would become my first debut novel, Purple Moon.
But it
was then that I decided I wanted to pursue writing as a career. I didn’t want
to have to wait until after I graduated high school before I began to study the
craft of writing.
I knew I
would have to write a book if I wanted to become an author. But more than that—I
would have to write a book that didn’t scream “amateur” or “teen writer”.
The only
way I could accomplish this? By studying the basic fundamentals of creative
writing.
That was
almost seven years ago. If it wasn’t for the education I “built” for myself in
this area, I would not be the writer I am today, nor would I have had a book
published.
Nowadays,
you don’t necessarily need a college degree to become a published author
(although it certainly doesn’t hurt!). You can start now preparing for your writing career by building your own creative
writing education.
Here’s
how you can do this in five easy steps:
1) Read
books on the writing craft
When I
was a teen, I was just as excited to buy a new book on the craft as I was to
buy a YA novel. I would spend hours reading, highlighting, and taking notes on
what I learned.
But
simply reading a book on the craft
wasn’t enough: I had to put into practice what I learned. I wrote the first
draft of Purple Moon, then spent even
longer on the edits and revisions, applying what I learned.
2) Attend
conferences and workshops
Writing conferences are pretty
much a vacation to me.
What can be better than spending a week with other writers, drinking coffee
throughout the day, meeting authors and industry professionals, and taking
classes that will enrich your writing?
Unfortunately,
conferences can become pretty costly at times. If you do not have a manuscript
that’s ready to pitch to professionals, I suggest saving your money and attend
a conference when you’re ready. In the meantime, try to find a nearby two-day
conference or a workshop to attend.
3) Listen
to podcasts and watch video tutorials
The
great thing about audio learning is that you can listen to podcasts as you
drive, work out, or in the evenings when most of your friends are watching TV.
Try to
find podcasts and videos that not only teach about writing, but keep you
updated on the publishing industry as well.
Here is
a list of my favorites:
4) Enroll
in online courses
When I
was a teen, I enrolled in two creative writing courses: One that was taught
through my online school, and the other through Christian Writers Guild.
If your
school doesn’t offer a creative writing class, no worries! Fortunately, there
are plenty of classes you can enroll in online.
I offer
a 3-month creative writing mentorship program and course specifically for
teens. In this program, I cover the art of storytelling, craft of writing, as
well as the publishing aspect of the industry. You can find out more info on Write
Now by clicking here.
My
agent, Sally Apokedak, teaches two online classes on the craft as well. Stick
around to the end of this post for your chance to win a coupon to one of her
classes!
5) Visit
blogs on the writing craft
When I
was a teen, one way I grew as a writer was by visiting multiple writing-related
blogs and learning the basics of creative writing. Not only did this help to
grow my craft, but it helped me to become familiar with the professionals in
the industry as well.
Of
course, if you’re reading this blog and are apart of the Go Teen Writers
community, then you’re definitely on the right track!
Here is a list of more
writing-related blogs.
You might also be interested in checking out my column for teen writers, Dear Young Scribes, over at AlmostAnAuthor.com.
~ ~ ~
As you
study about the craft of writing, be sure to learn about the ins and outs of
the industry as well.
By doing
this, not only are you preparing for your future career as an author (if you
choose to take that path), but you’re also “testing the waters”. In other
words, you have the chance to gain more of an understanding of what it’s like
to be an author. This should help you make more of an education decision about
whether or not this is the career you would like to pursue. =)
However,
make sure that the time you invest studying never overshadows the time you
spend writing. Because even though I believe every writer should continue to
grow in their craft—ultimately, the best way to learn how to write a book is
simply by writing.
Now it’s
time for a giveaway!
My
agent, Sally Apokedak, is giving away two coupons for her online courses:
Writing Fiction That Sings and Punctuate With Confidence. One winner will be
selected per course.
** The
only thing she asks is that the winners leave a review on the class after you
take the course. Please only enter if you are willing to do so.
What are your favorite books and
blogs on the writing craft? Have you already begun the process of building your
own writing education, and if so, how have you grown as a writer?
I've done most of the things on this list, but I've never watched a video tutorial. I'll have to try it out sometime! Also, thanks for the amazing list of resources on your website. Thanks for stopping by GTW!
ReplyDeleteHi, Linea! Video tutorials are fairly new for me as well. It's nice to have an alternative to reading blogs occasionally. =)
DeleteThanks for your comment!
Tessa
Thanks for this post, Tessa! I've read your other posts on Christ is Write and AlmostAnAuthor and really liked your advice. (as well as your writing) I'm not quite sure if I want to pursue writing as much as I thought I did, but I hope to find out soon.
ReplyDelete~Sarah
Thanks for the encouragement, Sarah! One thing I love about writing is the freedom it offers to pursue writing at your own pace. For instance, you can begin your writing journey at 16--or at 60. Several authors go to college and pursue another job for a decade or two before they decide to write. In other words, there's no pressure to make a final decision yet! And if you decide not to pursue writing, then you can always change your mind down the road. =)
DeleteTessa
Go Teen Writers was the first writing blog I ever read, and it's still my favorite. I didn't feel overwhelmed when I came here, only inspired. I also like She's Novel. :) Also, I love these steps! Thanks!
ReplyDelete-hg
I’ve learned so much about the writing craft from Go Teen Writers over the years as well. I love that they’ve built a community to encourage and support teen writers along their writing journey. She’s Novel is great, too! =)
DeleteThanks for commenting!
Tessa
Thanks for those great links! Look forward to checking them out when I get the chance. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat! Thanks for stopping by! =)
DeleteTessa
Thanks for this post! :) I really like Bird by Bird and the GTW book.
ReplyDeleteI mostly only read blogs because I have a short attention span when it comes to anything that isn't fiction. The only writing book I've read all the way through is the Fiction Writer's Guide.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to this blog (which is awesome btw) I'm a huge fan of Jenna Moreci. Her YouTube videos are hilarious and informative, and her blog is fun to read. As for books, I have too many favorites to list here. :)
ReplyDeleteI've been building my writing education since I was a teenager, and I continue to pursue it every day. You're never too old to learn! :)
I agree! =) I've never heard of Jenna Moreci, so I'll have to check out her videos. Thanks!
DeleteTessa
My favourite books on writing are the 'go-teen-writers' book and 'so you want to be a writer' book. This is the first writers blog I have ever followed, (and my favourite) but occasionally I search up different writing things on Google and it comes up with posts from other cool blogs.
ReplyDeleteGreat bunch of links! I'll have to take the time to read them all!
ReplyDeleteI love the book Fast Fiction by Denise Jaden, and the blog Gossiping with Dragons for writing advice. I also really like the blog 'She's Novel', as well as this one of course!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recommendations! I love She's Novel blog as well. =)
DeleteTessa
Thanks for sharing with us! One of my favorite writing craft books is Plot and Structure by James Scoot Bell. I recently was helped by 45 Master Characters by Victoria Schmidt.
ReplyDeleteI learned so much about plot from his book as well! I'd love to check out the one on characters, too. So far, my favorite craft book on characters has been "Getting Into Character" by Brandilyn Collins.
DeleteTessa
So, are these coupons for getting the courses free, or is it just a percentage off?
ReplyDeleteYes, the coupons can be used to take the course for free. Sorry, I meant to include the links to the courses as well.
DeleteHere you go:
Writing Fiction That Sings - https://www.udemy.com/narrative-voice-for-novelists/
Punctuation - https://www.udemy.com/punctuation-english-american/
Tessa
Thank you. xD
DeleteThis is another amazing blog just for what I need!!!!! Thank you so much, Tessa Emily Hall!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed it, Lauren! =)
DeleteThank you for the links, looking forward to viewing them all.
ReplyDeleteBTW The Kill Zone and Write from the Middle both by James Scott Bell are some of my favorites.
DeleteNo problem! I heard about "Write From the Middle" from the last conference I attended. I'll have to look into that! I love any craft book by James Scott Bell. Thanks for the recommendations. =)
DeleteTessa
I'm the exact same way! I love getting new writing books on the craft, and I spend hours reading them again and again :)
ReplyDeleteSame here! I still have the notebook I used to write down notes I took from craft books when I was a teen. I wouldn't be the writer I am today without them!
DeleteTessa
Thank you! I will have to check out the writing books on your website. I've been looking for a good one. :)
ReplyDeleteLoved having you on the blog, Tessa! Thanks for sharing your wisdom with us.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for having me, Stephanie! =)
DeleteTessa
This was pretty much exactly what I needed today :)
ReplyDeleteDue to not having enough money I won't be doing choir this semester like I have the past three. I decided to spend the two hours I usually spend at choir on working on my book instead!
That's a great idea! =)
DeleteTessa
GTW is basically my go-to source for writing advice, but I also like my library. It's easy to do research, and I know that the librarians will help me out.
ReplyDeleteI love checking out books from the library and visiting blogs about writing. One that has inspired me specifically is Conflict & Suspense by James Scott Bell. I also love this site. Of course. :)
ReplyDeleteAll the old school textbooks lying around here re great of course. And I love libraries. ;) As far as blogs go...go teen writers or the write conversation. :)
ReplyDeleteBlogs are pretty much all the writing resources that I use. xP I use writing prompts fairly frequently, read writing articles, and occasionally participate in contests.
ReplyDeleteI also read quite a bit, and that seems like the best way to get better at writing—read a lot, and write even more. xP
I use this blog, Plots and Blots, She's Novel, and Kami Garcia's blog.
ReplyDeleteThis is an awesome post! I was hoping something like this would come up someday. :)
ReplyDeleteI love She's Novel, Go Teen Writers, Write the World, and Writerology. I also have read the Go Teen Writers book (which is by far the best source out there for teen writers) and Writing Magic by Gail Carson Levine.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for all these helpful links! I feel like I can never have enough writing resources. Some of my favorite books are The First 50 Pages by Jeff Gerke, Go Teen Writers, and Self-Editing for Fiction Writers. Of course I read several blogs so those are also helpful!
ReplyDeleteCool post! I'm actually going to the YoungArts writing workshop this spring, and I am SO EXCITED!
ReplyDeleteAlexa
thessalexa.blogspot.com
verbositybookreviews.wordpress.com
I don't follow too many writing blogs, but I enjoy this blog. Bird by Bird is top of my list, so hopefully I'll get to it shortly.
ReplyDeleteI need to get more books on the craft. I like what I've read of Go Teen Writers (the book) and Storyworld First. My favorite writing blog is, of course, this one. :)
ReplyDeleteI honestly haven't read too many books on writing, but one of my favorites so far is Write Your Novel From the Middle by James Scott Bell. My favorite writing blogs are (of course) this one and Fiction University.
ReplyDeleteI honestly haven't read too many books on writing, but one of my favorites so far is Write Your Novel From the Middle by James Scott Bell. My favorite writing blogs are (of course) this one and Fiction University.
ReplyDeleteI've learned a lot from this site, the Go Teen Writer's book, Fiction University, and the podcast Writing Excuses
ReplyDelete