Want to write a novel? This book is the motivation you need! Part
writing guide and part memoir, this inspiring book from the author of
Flipped and The Running Dream is like Bird by Bird for YA readers
and writers.
Wendelin Van Draanen didn't grow up wanting to be a writer, but thirty
books later, she's convinced that writing saved her life. Or, at least,
saved her from a life of bitterness and despair. Writing helped her sort
out what she thought and felt and wanted. And digging deep into
fictional characters helped her understand the real people in her life
better as well.
Wendelin shares what she's learned--about writing, life, and what it
takes to live the writing life. This book is packed with practical
advice on the craft: about how to create characters and plot a story
that's exciting to read. But maybe even more helpful is the insight she
provides into the persistence, and perseverance, it takes to live a
productive, creative life. And she answers the age-old question Where
do you get your ideas? by revealing how events in her own life became
the seeds of her best-loved novels.
Hope in the Mail is a wildly inspirational read for anyone with a
story to share.