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Writing in Color
Fourteen Writers on the Lessons We've Learned
By Julie C. Dao, Chloe Gong, Joan He, Kosoko Jackson, Adiba Jaigirdar, Darcie Little Badger, Yamile Saied Méndez, Axie Oh, Laura Pohl, Cindy Pon, Karuna Riazi, Gail D. Villanueva, Julian Winters and Kat Zhang
Edited by Nafiza Azad and Melody Simpson
Table of Contents
About The Book
Rethink the way you approach writing in this revolutionary and informative new anthology from fourteen diverse authors that demystifies craft and authorship based on their experiences as writers of color—perfect for fans of Fresh Ink and Our Stories, Our Voices.
So, you’re thinking of writing a book. Or, maybe you’ve written one, and are wondering what to do with it. What does it take to publish a novel, or even a short story? If you’re a writer of color, these questions might multiply; after all, there’s a lot of writing advice out there, and it can be hard to know how much of it really applies to your own experiences. If any of this sounds like you, you’re in the right place: this collection of essays, written exclusively by authors of color, is here to encourage and empower writers of all ages and backgrounds to find their voice as they put pen to page.
Perhaps you’re just getting started. Here you’ll find a whole toolkit of advice from bestselling and award-winning authors for focusing on an idea, landing on a point of view, and learning which rules were meant to be broken. Or perhaps you have questions about everything beyond the first draft: what is it really like being a published author? These writers demystify the process, sharing personal stories as they forged their own path to publication, and specifically from their perspectives as author of color.
Every writer has a different journey. Maybe yours has already started. Or maybe it begins right here.
Contributors include: Julie C. Dao, Chloe Gong, Joan He, Kosoko Jackson, Adiba Jaigirdar, Darcie Little Badger, Yamile Saied Mendez, Axie Oh, Laura Pohl, Cindy Pon, Karuna Riazi, Gail D. Villanueva, Julian Winters, and Kat Zhang.
So, you’re thinking of writing a book. Or, maybe you’ve written one, and are wondering what to do with it. What does it take to publish a novel, or even a short story? If you’re a writer of color, these questions might multiply; after all, there’s a lot of writing advice out there, and it can be hard to know how much of it really applies to your own experiences. If any of this sounds like you, you’re in the right place: this collection of essays, written exclusively by authors of color, is here to encourage and empower writers of all ages and backgrounds to find their voice as they put pen to page.
Perhaps you’re just getting started. Here you’ll find a whole toolkit of advice from bestselling and award-winning authors for focusing on an idea, landing on a point of view, and learning which rules were meant to be broken. Or perhaps you have questions about everything beyond the first draft: what is it really like being a published author? These writers demystify the process, sharing personal stories as they forged their own path to publication, and specifically from their perspectives as author of color.
Every writer has a different journey. Maybe yours has already started. Or maybe it begins right here.
Contributors include: Julie C. Dao, Chloe Gong, Joan He, Kosoko Jackson, Adiba Jaigirdar, Darcie Little Badger, Yamile Saied Mendez, Axie Oh, Laura Pohl, Cindy Pon, Karuna Riazi, Gail D. Villanueva, Julian Winters, and Kat Zhang.
Excerpt
Picking an Idea to Focus On
Picking an Idea to Focus On BY KOSOKO JACKSON
Kosoko Jackson is an author of young adult and adult stories that star queer Black men. His love for fiction came from writing his first story at age six about a pair of first graders who got eaten by a bear—his parents thought he had a problem. He most definitely does. When not writing, Kosoko is binge-watching cinema (he sees over one hundred movies a year), playing with his new golden retriever puppy, or suffering from existential ennui.
Picking an Idea to Focus On BY KOSOKO JACKSON
Kosoko Jackson is an author of young adult and adult stories that star queer Black men. His love for fiction came from writing his first story at age six about a pair of first graders who got eaten by a bear—his parents thought he had a problem. He most definitely does. When not writing, Kosoko is binge-watching cinema (he sees over one hundred movies a year), playing with his new golden retriever puppy, or suffering from existential ennui.
About The Authors
Photograph © JON STUDIO
Chloe Gong is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Secret Shanghai novels, as well as the Flesh and False Gods trilogy. Her books have been published in over twenty countries and have been featured in The New York Times, People, Forbes, and more. She is a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where she double majored in English and international relations. Born in Shanghai and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, Chloe is now located in New York City, pretending to be a real adult.
Photograph by Vania Stoyanova
Cindy Pon is the author of Silver Phoenix, which was named one of the Top Ten Fantasy and Science Fiction Books for Youth by Booklist, and one of 2009’s Best Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror by VOYA. Serpentine and Sacrifice were both Junior Library Guild selections and received starred reviews from School Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews, respectively. She also wrote Want, which is a Freeman Book Award Honorable Mention and Ruse. She is the cofounder of Diversity in YA with Malinda Lo and on the advisory board of We Need Diverse Books. Cindy is also a Chinese brush painting student of over a decade. Learn more about her books and art at CindyPon.com.
Courtesy of the author
Karuna Riazi is a born and raised New Yorker, with a loving, large extended family and the rather trying experience of being the eldest sibling in her particular clan. Besides pursuing a BA in English literature from Hofstra University, she is an online diversity advocate, blogger, and publishing intern. Karuna is fond of tea, baking new delectable treats for friends and family to relish, Korean dramas, and writing about tough girls forging their own paths toward their destinies. She is the author of The Gauntlet and The Battle.
Photograph (c) 2020 by Mai Urai
Kat Zhang loves traveling to places both real and fictional—the former have better souvenirs, but the latter allow for dragons, so it’s a tough choice. A writer of books for teens and children, she spends her free time scribbling poetry, taking photographs, and climbing atop things she shouldn’t. You can learn more about her at KatZhang.com.
Product Details
- Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (August 22, 2023)
- Length: 256 pages
- ISBN13: 9781665925648
- Grades: 9 and up
- Ages: 14 - 99
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Raves and Reviews
** "The honest, useful craft book that all fledgling writers need."
– Kirkus reviews, starred review
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- Book Cover Image (jpg): Writing in Color Hardcover 9781665925648
- Author Photo (jpg): Chloe Gong Photograph © JON STUDIO(0.1 MB)
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- Author Photo (jpg): Cindy Pon Photograph by Vania Stoyanova(0.1 MB)
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- Author Photo (jpg): Karuna Riazi Courtesy of the author(0.1 MB)
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- Author Photo (jpg): Kat Zhang Photograph (c) 2020 by Mai Urai(0.1 MB)
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