Literary Birthday – 11 December – Ali Hazelwood

Happy Birthday, Ali Hazelwood, born 11 December 1989.

Ali Hazelwood Quotes

1. I started writing with fan fiction. I’ve always found it very hard to let go of characters and stories that I loved, so I found myself trying to write more about them. (Geeks Out)
2. I’ve noticed that when I have an idea I have to let it mull for a while before I’m fully ready to write the story. And also that even though I hate giving myself daily writing goals, it’s the only way I get the book done. (Geeks Out)
3. I really enjoy the initial stage of coming up with a story idea and starting the drafting process. (Geeks Out)
4. Don’t go back and edit what you’ve already written, just finish the first draft and make notes of things to change later. You can’t edit something you haven’t written, so getting a (even very bad) first draft is the most important thing. (Geeks Out)
5. Writing can be lonely, so make sure you have a great support network gathered around you. (Geeks Out)
6. I try to let my characters voice their struggles and insecurities–it’s okay if they have to go through a long journey before fully understanding who they really are and what they need to be! (She Writes)
7. I see my writing (craft, voice, plotting) very much as a work in progress. (She Writes)
8. I don’t have rituals (except for procrastinating until it looks like I might not make my deadline), but I’m finding that the more I write, the more I am starting to know myself and to have trust that the final product of my work will be something that resembles a book. (She Writes)
9. Only write scenes you want to read. (She Writes)
10. I had to read a lot of craft books, like, for example, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel. Books that tell you how to fill the story with plot. That’s something that fan fiction doesn’t necessarily have to have. (Goodreads)

Ali Hazelwood is the pen name of an Italian novelist and neuroscience professor based in the United States. She started off by writing fan fiction. Her first novel, The Love Hypothesis, was on The New York Times Best Seller list for more than 40 weeks. She writes contemporary adult novels, young adult novels, and paranormal romances. Hazelwood worked as a professor up until 2022, when she took a break from academia to focus on her writing career. Follow Ali on Instagram.

Source for image: Author’s Website

by Amanda Patterson

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