reply

Hi, Annie,

Thanks for posting and for being such an enthusiastic fan! I appreciate it very much.

Advice to a writer: read a lot, and write a lot. Write all the time — a journal, letters, notes to self, short stories, anything! And when you actually sit down to try a novel, teach yourself not to put down a single word unless your story is well-planned. Yes, you can make changes, add and subtract people and events. But the main story must be there before you start to write. Believe me, planning is everything. 

And remember this, which is something I tell every aspiring writer: Anyone intelligent can write intelligently. The trick is to write something that someone else will want to read. The ability to do that is what some people call “talent.” I hope you have gobs of it! Good luck! Maybe I’ll be writing you a fan letter one of these days!

                                     Best regards,                                                 —–Gordon Korman—–