I was fortunate to hear Mary E. Pearson speak at the SCBWI/SD February chapter meeting about Juggling the Art and Business of Writing: Craft, Tips and Realities.  Mary told the group that she once sat in their seats at chapter meetings and absorbed everything she could about writing for children. Then she added it was “like coming home” to speak at them.

Mary writes for young adults and has published many award winning novels – including her latest trilogy “The Remnant Chronicles.” She talked about proposing the trilogy to her editor, wresting with unexpected writing challenges, and keeping the passion alive for 1700 pages.

One of Mary’s concerns when she received her contract was her deadlines. She confessed she was not a fast writer and started researching fast writing tips so she could write smarter. She recommended Rachel Aaron’s book 2,000 to 10,000 words per day.

During her talk, Mary gave her audience some well thought through advice. Below are a few of her nuggets:

* Your first draft is you telling yourself the story.

* There is magic in writing. Enjoy and trust the process.

* Be your own best critic.

* Understand your weaknesses.

* Make yourself grow. Dig deeper.  Challenge yourself.

* Adopt the mantra: YOU CAN DO THIS!

* Don’t let doubt get in your way.

* Writing leads to more writing. Keep going!

* Just get it down on paper. You can’t revise a blank page.

My favorite is Mary’s last nugget.  I have printed it out on a large post-it and stuck it to my monitor.  No more stalling when starting a new project.

Check out Mary’s website www.marypearson.com and visit her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.