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Lillian Graves

Goodreads Author

Born

in Brooklyn, The United States

Website

http://lilliangraves.blogspot.com/

Twitter

lillian_graves

Genre

Thriller, Young Adult, Crime

Member Since

July 2014

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/LillianGraves

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The first story I ever wrote was Sonic the Hedgehog fan-fiction at the tender age of eight.

As a tomboy, I spent hours watching boys play video games during play dates. To include myself in their world of buttons and power-ups, I'd ask incessant questions about the characters, worlds, and storyline. I got the bright idea to bring a notebook when their answers became so intricate with rules and plotholes.

This caught the attention of my future partner in crime, B.W., who tore his eyes from the TV and asked me why I had a notebook. When I told him my plans to document and fill in the missing pieces to the storylines, he asked me if he could illustrate them.

Of course I said yes.

The next day, I tore the perforated sides off our first scan-copied ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Lillian Graves By writing whatever comes to mind for at least twenty minutes. I find that's where I get the random thoughts that appear in my writing, such as in UNF…moreBy writing whatever comes to mind for at least twenty minutes. I find that's where I get the random thoughts that appear in my writing, such as in UNFORTUNATES, Vanessa wonders if she knew she'd get a second chance at life ahead of time, would she be more reckless. Or even the completely off the wall, random remarks like why are the specks of black in your vision called floaters, or if boys know that we can see everything through sweatpants 99.99% of the time.

I think these thoughts make the characters real because, while we may not say it out loud, we all commentate our lives as we go about our business.

While it may not be stellar writing on the initial run, you can use the ideas you accumulate during this exercise to work towards a fleshing out characters.(less)

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What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Lillian Graves Don't give up. Seriously. When those rejection letters come pouring in, when you get your first negative feedback, when it seems like no one will list…moreDon't give up. Seriously. When those rejection letters come pouring in, when you get your first negative feedback, when it seems like no one will listen and you sink deeper and deeper into yourself, take a step back, but only one.

Go for a run, cook a meal, take a class, have a few beers, go on an extended vacation (always works for me). But never give up. Because that's the only way to ensure you won't get anywhere.

And I promise, in a few months, after you've written something else and gone back to edit the story you were subbing, you will see your weaknesses (and strengths, which they never point out in those pesky rejection letters!) and it will be humbling.

And then the next time you put your work on sub, some of the agents will recognize you and some will congratulate you on your progress. Readers will come back and say they like your second book more than the first.

The business is subjective, so don't let one piece of feedback hold you down for too long. We are all waiting for your next work.(less)

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Combine Editions
Lillian Graves’s books

Average rating: 3.87 · 699 ratings · 26 reviews · 3 distinct works

	Figure 8 3.90 avg rating — 670 ratings — published 2014 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Unfortunates 3.24 avg rating — 29 ratings — published 2014	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Best Laura Spencer Guide to Date - 109 Facts 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

9 posts
Lillian Graves's Blog

The Journey of Writing a Novel Summed Up In a Video

Ever feel like this?

Maybe you started a new job but quickly realized the environment was toxic, and throughout your stay no matter what you did you kept banging your head on the wall. Or, like every writer, you start off the first draft of a work super excited only to find it derailed by the middle. You get to the end asking, “How did I get here?”

I don’t think any of us make decisions with the int

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
YA Buddy Readers'...: Unfortunates by Lillian Graves - Starting February 27th 2015	197	126	May 24, 2015 05:00AM

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