Literary Birthday – 26 March – Ellen Hopkins
Happy Birthday, Ellen Hopkins, born 26 March 1955.
Ellen Hopkins Quotes
- I DO NOT recommend self-publishing. If a publisher wants money from you, that is self-publishing. Why not try to get paid for your writing instead? (E H Website)
- And remember writing is a journey. It may take years to publish, but that’s okay. Everything you write is a learning experience. And often the perspective gained along the way makes your storytelling deeper. (E H Website)
- When I’m home and not under deadline, [I write for] at least six hours. Under deadline, that could be much more. When I travel, I try to write at least an hour or two every day. This includes vacations, holidays, and weekends. Writing is my career, but it’s also my heart. Not writing makes me unhappy. (E H Website)
- Try to write every day, even if it’s just a sentence or two in a journal, a short poem or a character sketch. If you miss a day, don’t beat yourself up. Writing should be something you love to do, not something you have to do. (E H Website)
- Always keep a notebook by your bed and in your purse, pocket or glove box. Jot down those ideas or character sketches when the muse strikes. You can always flesh them out later. (E H Website)
- Study your craft. Writing is one thing. Writing well is another. If you can, take classes online or at a community college. If you can’t, buy or borrow books on craft. Be the best writer you can be. (E H Website)
- Read, read and read some more. What is it about a poem or story or book that makes you love-or hate-it? What works for you, and what doesn’t? (E H Website)
- Join a critique group. Sit in on a session or two before sharing, so you know if the group seems like one you can trust to offer fair, but kind, criticism of your work. It’s good to have other eyes on your writing, but not mean spirited eyes. (E H Website)
- Writer’s block can and does happen. Take a break. Take a walk. Personally, I take a hot tub. The bubbles seem to work wonders for me when I get stuck. (E H Website)
Ellen Hopkins is an award-winning American writer. She is a poet, freelance writer, and the award-winning author of 20 nonfiction titles, three novels for adults, and 13 NY Times Bestselling novels-in-verse. Her verse novels include Crank, Burned, Impulse, Identical, Glass, Tricks, Tilt, and Fallout. Hopkins’s primary inspiration for her first novels (the Crank series) comes from her eldest daughter, who was addicted to crystal methamphetamine and spent two years in prison. Her books have regularly been included in the American Library Association’s lists of the most frequently banned and challenged books in the United States. Her latest YA novel is Sync. She has published hundreds of articles on subjects ranging from aviation to child abuse to winegrowing. Ellen is a regular speaker at schools, book festivals, and writers conferences. She was inducted as a full member into the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame in 2015.
Source for image: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ellen_hopkins_2011.jpg
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