Today, we have one of my favorite authors answering questions about her writing life, Justina Chen Headley! Let’s check out what Justina has to say.
What is your brainstorming process for a new book?
I collage incessantly when I begin a new project. Something about collecting images and words that represent my character and her arc turns on the spigot of my imagination.
Can you explain your typical work week day?
For my writing days, I typically get up at 5:30 a.m. for a mind-clearing run, and then I’m at my computer for a few hours. The rest of the day is spent on business, email, readergirlz, and my favorite: research!
Tell us about when you made the decision to write.
I don’t think I consciously began writing. It was just what I have always done…since I was in 2nd grade. Even in the years when I resisted writing because a college professor told me I didn’t have any talent, I was writing—and revising—in my head.
What suggestions do you have for aspiring writers?
Read as much as you can, and be sure to put your time in writing. Malcolm Gladwell posits that it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill. Find those 10,000 hours. Pronto!
Tell us about what you’re working on right now and what we can expect from you in the near future.
I’m working on another contemporary YA novel and my first YA fantasy series. Who knows what will come next! I can’t wait for my imagination to surprise me!!
I love your fun answers, Justina! Thank you for joining us today on Writers on Writing! For those of you who are interested in purchasing a copy of Justina’s books, you can pick up a copy at your local bookstore or here. Stay tuned for next week on Writers on Writing!
You can check out Justina’s website linked above for her longer bio, but here is the short and sweet one taken from her author info page: I always wanted to be a writer–and wrote my first 50-page novella when I was eight. But after graduating from Stanford, I took a minor detour to work at Microsoft, both in Seattle and Sydney, Australia. Afterwards, I returned to my first love: writing young adult fiction. My latest novel, NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL has received starred reviews in Kirkus and Publishers Weekly. My debut novel, Nothing but the Truth (and a few white lies), was sold at auction and won the 2007 Asian Pacific American Award for Literature. Girl Overboard was a Junior Library Guild Premier Selection. Feel free to contact me on Facebook or MySpace or my blog.
