More Author Signings! And the Zero Draft

This week has been filled with author signings!

Tuesday, my local B&N hosted an author event with the lovely ladies that wrote these books:

   

They each read pages from their work, and had us rolling with their witty answers to questions. I had a lovely chat with local author Sophie Jordan, and also met Courtney Allison Moulton who is quite hilarious. All four of them are promoting their trilogies and it was interesting to hear how difficult the third book is/was for them to write. As readers we take for granted that the last book in a series will tie up all the loose ends, but I for one rarely think about how difficult it might have been for the author to tie them. I find myself thankful there are no series ideas in my head as of right now!

Last night, I ventured into Houston to Blue Willow Bookshop for the Ally Carter event. She's promoting the second book in her Heist Society series, Uncommon Criminals. I flew through Heist Society, and I'm positive it's sequel will prove to be just as fun. 

 

Houston is so fortunate to have a rockin' indie bookstore like Blue Willow. They always put on such fab events, authors come back year after year. I was able to meet Ally Carter last year, and last night when I approached her table to get UC signed, she looked at me and said, "We've met before!" Open mouthed and red faced like the fangirl I am at these things, I said, "A YEAR AGO!" Seriously. Incredible.  

Ally is a pro at these events. She answers questions quick as a whip, keeping things upbeat and hilarious.  As far as writing advice I soaked up from her, there were several things I'd like to share. 

• She doesn't outline in the traditional way. Her initial draft is called the ZERO draft because it's unworthy of being called a first! It's the bare bare bones that she works out from beginning to end, making sure she knows everything that's going to happen. From there, she starts back at the beginning and revises, adding in all the pretties, then it becomes the first draft. 
• She reminds us not to get frustrated with our zeros and firsts. And especially don't compare them to a finished work!! You know that favorite book of yours? It's far far far from what their first draft was. Fear not! Keep going!

Author events are also a great time to meet up with fellow bloggers and other local authors! I enjoyed chatting and having dinner with the ladies behind the blogs Stephanie, a History, Cari's Book Blogs, Windowpane Memiors, Between the Covers, I Read Banned Books, and local author of Dreaming Anastasia and Haunted, Joy Preble. Also finally met Sarah from Sarah's Books and Life!