Nadia L. King On Using Your Time Strategically

Welcome to the SNOB - Second Novel Ominipresent Blues. Whether you’re under contract or trying to snag another deal, you’re a professional now, with the pressures of a published novelist compounded with the still-present nagging self-doubt of the noobie. How to deal?

Today's guest for the SNOB (Second Novel Omnipresent Blues) is Nadia L. King. An Australian author, Nadia was born in Dublin, Ireland and is a YA author and short story writer. Nadia's book, Jenna's Truth, is available from Serenity Press.

Is it hard to leave behind the first novel and focus on the second?

Leaving behind the writing of my first book, Jenna's Truth, hasn’t been difficult. Despite being deep in the editing phase of my second manuscript, I am starting to get distracted by an idea for a third manuscript. Thoughts keep popping into my head. I ignore them when I should probably write them down in a new notebook! The third manuscript will tackle the subject of self-harm so whenever I come across an article for research I save it for later, much later…

At what point do you start diverting your energies from promoting your debut and writing / polishing / editing your second?

I really don’t know when you stop promoting your first book. I’m still very much connected to Jenna’s Truth (a second edition is being launched by Serenity Press in April) so I’m definitely trying to push the book as much as I can without being annoying to my readers and anyone nice enough to follow me on social media (a difficult task for authors to balance).

My second manuscript isn’t contracted so I don’t have a hard deadline to meet, but that uncertainty comes with its own stresses. Right now, I especially need the eyes of an editor, but not being contracted means I don’t have that option without funding an editor myself. I swing between polishing and promoting, and hopefully I’m getting the balance right.

Your first book landed an agent and an editor, and hopefully some fans. Who are you writing the second one for? Them, or yourself?

I write for my readers—for the teens whose lives I hope to influence. Writing always has a selfish element, but ultimately I’m writing to bring about a little change in the world (that may be naive, but it’s definitely a big part of my motivation for writing).

Is there a new balance of time management to address once you’re a professional author?

Time management is tricky for all writers. I’m a YA author and try to get to as many schools and libraries as possible to share my message with teens and their caregivers. All the time I spend on marketing myself as a speaker means time away from writing which can be frustrating. But connecting with audiences is incredibly rewarding and well worth time away from my desk.

What did you do differently the second time around, with the perspective of a published author?

The second time around, I tried to focus more. I didn’t blog as much or write as many book reviews. I tried to use my time more strategically. Practically, I invested in Scrivener which has made drafting and editing far more efficient. I’m interested to see what I’ll do differently next because I think I’ve learnt more in the last year than I ever have before. I’m becoming more confident in my writing process.

The Bravery of Youth

Over the weekend I gave an address at the Cleveland Public Library for the winners and finalists of the Letters About Literature competition, which is a reading and writing contest for students in grades 4-12. Students are asked to read a book, poem or speech and write to the author (living or dead) about how the book affected them personally. Letters are judged on state and national levels.

I was both a judge and a presenter for the state of Ohio, and the letters I read were impressive, indeed. Children and teens wrote of personal struggles, daily sacrifices, life-altering tragedies, and how a book had helped them cope. Reading them was at times difficult, and judging them even more so.

This weekend I met these children and young adults face to face, many of them drawing upon deep wells of bravery in order to stand on a stage, and read those letters aloud. One of the youngest letter writers was so small, she stood on her tiptoes during her entire reading in order to reach the mic.

Another cried openly. Some struggled with the pressure of speaking publicly. Some chose not to read - a decision I respect. The letters were deeply personal, relating stories that took great courage to even put to paper, let alone voice in a crowded theatre.

These young men and women spoke passionately about something I too have great feeling for - books.

So many of the elements of the experience were personally moving for me. I heard fellow readers sharing their love of books. I learned - again - how as an author the impact my words can have. I heard new voices, some of whom will certainly become a new generation of writers.

It's easy to be overwhelmed by our adult lives, easy to wonder if anything we do or say actually matters. This weekend reminded me that our words have power - and that younger ears are listening.

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