Blog Tour+ Giveaway: Guest Post- SINCE YOU ASKED by MAURENE GOO

Title: SINCE YOU ASKED

Author: MAURENE GOO

Published Date: June 25th

Tour Organized by: Book Nerd Tours

Synopsis

A humorous, debut novel about a Korean-American teenager who accidentally lands her own column in her high school newspaper, and proceeds to rant her way through the school year while struggling to reconcile the traditional Korean values of her parents with contemporary American culture.

About the Author

Maurene Goo was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where she navigated her childhood by practicing extreme bossy Lord-dom over her many cousins. She studied communication at the University of California, San Diego, and received a master's degree in publishing and writing at Emerson College. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and a very old cat. 

Visit her Online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Where to buy your copy:

4 Fabulous Tips for Becoming a Better Writer

1. Read a lot. I know, you hear this everywhere. But there’s a reason, this is the birthplace of all writing. As a kid, it’s where you fall in love with stories and characters. In a less whimsical sense, it’s where you learn. Where you read good writing and say, “Ah, ok, that’s how you write a freaking amazing love scene” or “THIS is good dialogue.” I also think if you don’t love reading, you cannot be a writer. It’s what drives all of us to do this very solitary and sometimes unrewarding work, this intense love of reading and books.

2. Surround yourself with inspiring people. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I first started writing this book when I met my husband. He’s an illustrator and screenwriter, and probably the most talented human I’ve ever met (I know, barf. But it’s true!). And his friends are the same. When I met them, I was blown away by everyone’s obsessive passions to their craft—you really need it to succeed. You can’t just like doing something and put some time into it, hoping someone will discover your abilities. You have to live and breathe it, work so hard and give up so much to make it happen. I saw that and was just so inspired and humbled.

3. Work with other writers. I worked on SINCE YOU ASKED completely alone until I had professional editorial help. With the books I’ve been working on since then, I’ve opened myself up to crit partners (shout-out to Nicole McGinness and Amy Kibuishi). What a huge freaking difference. Having a fellow writer give their opinions on your work is SO different from friends or family, however brilliant and well-meaning they are. The perspective is so different and valuable. And always much more critical, which is a good thing!

4. Do stuff outside of writing. Yes, this is vague. And for good reason—do anything outside of writing as part of your daily life. While I do think a certain obsession is necessary to write books, I think more important is having real experiences to inspire your work. Making things up in your own head is all good and well, and an amazing ability to have, but sometimes that well will dry up if you don’t actually start living your own life. I’m a very social person so I feel dead inside if I don’t see my friends enough. Often after a good hang-out, or traveling, or even running an errand, will get all my creative juices flowing.

    

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