Sheila Decosse
asked
Ruta Sepetys:
What gave you the confidence to undertake the years of research on 'Between Shades of Grey". Did you write a dynamite proposal and have a publisher's commitment ..or did you have tremendous self confidence..(and I look at that as a plus.) Did you have any life experiences in the past that helped you soldier on?
Ruta Sepetys
Hello Seabreeze!
I wanted to be an author when I was very young. I wrote my first book in third grade. But after a while, I lost my courage to write and feared I didn't really have a talent for it.
Prior to becoming an author I worked for twenty years in the music business. Through working in music I learned that failure is a prerequisite to success. Having the freedom to fail brought me back to writing.
I did not sell the book on a proposal. I wrote (and rewrote) "Between Shades of Gray" countless times before it was sold to a publisher. It was a journey that took many years, but I really enjoyed it.
Thanks for asking!
I wanted to be an author when I was very young. I wrote my first book in third grade. But after a while, I lost my courage to write and feared I didn't really have a talent for it.
Prior to becoming an author I worked for twenty years in the music business. Through working in music I learned that failure is a prerequisite to success. Having the freedom to fail brought me back to writing.
I did not sell the book on a proposal. I wrote (and rewrote) "Between Shades of Gray" countless times before it was sold to a publisher. It was a journey that took many years, but I really enjoyed it.
Thanks for asking!
More Answered Questions
Anne
asked
Ruta Sepetys:
I was greatly enthralled by your book "Between Shades of Grey". It's a very rare occurrence ; but, i wished the pages would go on and on, i wished the story would me through Lina's life, through her survival and recovery-- that's how tethered to her i was.Thank you for such an inspiring book. Question--Is "Between Shades of Grey" based off of real experiences? And if so, might i ask whose?
Lindsey
asked
Ruta Sepetys:
Ruta, I absolutely adored Between Shades of Gray. As a teacher, I'm always discussing different tools that writers use to get their ideas on paper. Would you be willing to share some details about your writing process? For example, how often do you write? How do you decide the sequencing and the point-of-view in your books? Thanks!
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