Here’s my secret confession. In order for me to get up to write every day, to post here or submit manuscripts weekly I need to be inspired. Sometimes that comes from watching Super Soul Sunday or listening to anything on Sounds True. Other times it comes from the writers I follow on social media.
She’s one of them. And today, I’m excited to share with you another.
Natalia and I met virtually about a decade or so ago. She was one of the first writers I got to know and someone who I continue to cheer for on the sidelines. She’s done an amazing number of things since including being a published author of award winning novels and has a new YA novel coming in May.
I know she’s got a lot on her plate and I’m so grateful she made time to be here on my blog.
Instead of my normal Q&A, I’d thought it’d be fun to do something creative with her.
In this little fill-in-the-blank, Natalia shares some of the surprises she’s learned about publishing and her advice for those who dream of becoming a successful published author too. I think you’ll find her answers beautifully written and engaging to read.
The one thing I wish I knew when first started writing is…
That everything we write is a time capsule of who and where we are in our journey as writers and people. It will never be perfect, but if we’re lucky it’ll be true.
One thing that surprised me about being a published author was…
Ooh, just one?! There are so many! But I’ll say what I keep coming back to is that while publishing is absolutely wonderful and a dream come true, the magic still really does happen in the writing, in those intimate moments on the page that surprise and delight me.
If I could give advice to a writer who wants to be published it would be…
Seek out a community, whether online or in person. We have so much to learn from each other, and so many ways to support one another, and it often happens organically because it’s like any other relationship: it’s not transactional, it’s just about connecting and celebrating one another.
I can’t write without these writing tools/resources…
I can’t write without a huge sweater and fuzzy socks. I just have a very deep need to be warm and cozy when I’m writing. Maybe it’s because writing puts us in such vulnerable places, so I seek comfort before I go there. When I’m really settling in with pen and paper or (more than likely) my laptop, the first thing I do is grab this oversized blue Old Navy sweater I’ve had since I was 16 and put on the warmest, most colorful socks in my drawer, and then I get to work.
The project I’m most excited to share is…
My debut YA novel, RUNNING, is out May 5, 2020! I’m so excited about this book because while it’s my third novel, it’s my first for young adults. I had so much fun writing this story about a 15-year-old Cuban American girl whose father is running for president, and who begins to find her voice only to realize it’s at odds with her father’s political positions.
If you’d like to reach me or learn more about my books and other projects, you can contact me here…
I’m at nataliasylvester.com and most days, mainly on Twitter and Instagram: @nataliasylv.
