I'd been running for years: there was nothing scarier, to me, than to just be still with someone. And yet, there on that dark road, going home, I was.
Sarah DessenReally? Screaming?โ He shrugged. โIt wasnโt that bad. But there were definitely some freak-outs on both sides. Though, to be honest, the silence was worse.โ โWorse than screaming?โ I said. โMuch,โ he said, nodding. โI mean, at least with an argument, you know whatโs happening. Or have some idea. Silence isโฆ it could be anything. Itโs just โโ โSo freaking loud,โ I finished for him. He pointed at me. โExactly.
Sarah DessenI think having a good agent is key. I've been with mine for ten years now, and she's very honest with me. There are a lot of times I've sent her books that were not so good because I was tired of writing, or panicked about money, and she's told me flat out, "You don't want this to be your next book. Trust me."
Sarah DessenAll those clean, fresh starts had made me forget what it was like, until now, to be messy and honest and out of control. To be real.
Sarah DessenI think the most important thing is just to write. It sounds so simple, but sometimes it's not. You can get so distracted - -by having to work other jobs, or what other people have to say about your writing - -but the one thing that really matters is that you just keep going, especially when you're working on a novel. It's so easy to get discouraged and give up.
Sarah Dessen