[Simon Lin]

Hey, Gordon Korman

I was wondering how you wrote your first book at the age of 14. I am a minor, since you probably have experience, how did you find a publishing company and an editor for your book? Also what would you recommend for a minor trying to write a book.

Thanks, Simon Lin.

Hi, Simon,

Thanks for posting. Actually, I wrote it at 12 for an English assignment. The first "editors" were my teacher and my Mom, who made sure it was in English, and in proper grammar. I was 14 by the time it was published. I only knew one publisher who did kids' books, and that was Scholastic. They had a Canadian office in Toronto, where I lived at the time. So I had my Mom type it in manuscript form, and sent it to them with a covering letter, explaining who I am and telling them a bit about the book. They read it, liked it, and purchased the publishing rights from me. Once your book is sold to a publishing company, editing and everything else becomes their responsibility, so you don't have to find an editor.

Recommendations: read a lot, and write every day -- diary, journal, letters, notes to self. Just write. And when you've written something that you think is good enough and long enough to be a book, find a person you trust, as I did, to confirm that what you've got is compelling and publishable. Then go to the library, find a book on Writers' Markets, and select a publishing company that advertises that it's looking for the kind of thing you've written.

And then you're on your way! Good luck, Simon. I hope to be writing you a fan letter one day!

                                            Regards,                                                     -----Gordon Korman-----

 

[Simon Lin]

Thanks for your time and have a good day.

-Simon Lin

[Simon Lin]

Hey, Gordon Korman 

I’m on the 9th page of my book right now and I know the plot and everything, but I think I have writers block. It’s like if you build a road but there cracks and you don’t know how to fill the cracks. Can you please help me?

Simon Lin

Sorry, Simon. You're on your own here. If you know the plot, you know the details of what brings one plot point to the next one. There wouldn't be cracks, at least not anything big that would stop the story. That's not writers' block; it's insufficient planning. When I say you have to plan because planning is everything, it doesn't allow for what you call cracks. The main reason for planning is so that this doesn't happen.

Don't panic. It probably means back to the drawing board. More thorough planning.                                      ---GK---

[Jade]

Good luck, Simon! You got this. Don't give up on your book.

[Lucas]

I'm righting a fanfiction and I'm having trouble coming up with ideas, do you have any tips for me