Author Insight: Writing Mission Statement

If you were to have a mission statement or mantra for your writing, what would it be?

"Tell the truth, no matter how painful that truth is. Tell the truth, tell the truth, tell the truth." - Bill Konigsberg, author of Openly Straight. 

"Love what you do and work really, really hard. Work harder than you think you need to." - Aprilynne Pike, author of Life After Theft and Earthbound.

"Finish, and the true story will reveal itself. " - Lex Hrabe , co-author of Quarantine: The Loners. 

"Treat writing like a job; plan, do the work, set concrete goals." - Victoria Scott, author of The Collector.

"Be real. Have faith." -  Nora Raleigh Baskin, author of Surfacing.

"Write because I love it, and write what I’m passionate about: no other reason is good enough. And remembering that this is why I do it makes me focus on the heart of the story, and why it is my story to tell." - Teri Terry, author of Slated. 

"Be Entertaining. I have many goals when I write a book, but that’s always my number one. If the reader isn’t engaged, nothing else really matters!" - Jeff Sampson, author of  Ravage. 

"I hadn't thought of this as a mission, exactly, but now that you ask... I would love to get more guys to read fiction. I live with some reluctant readers who happen to be male, and I can't stand the fact that they don't like to read. So I try to write novels that even the guys in my life will read." - A.B. Westrick, author of Brotherhood. 

"Just keep writing…just keep writing…haha just kidding. It would probably be something like: Keep writing until the imaginary friends in your head stop talking to you, then proceed to freak out." - Molly McAdams, author of Taking Chances. 

"For me, one of the best things about books has always been that they are an escape hatch for real life. Whatever troubles you're facing, you can open a book and disappear for a few hours and hopefully feel a little better when you return. That's what I hope my books do for others." - Stacey Kade, author of The Ghost & the Goth and The Rules. 

"I try to write stories that take your heart for a ride, that make the reader laugh and cry and think about what it means to be alive. I write for teens and for the teen that still lives inside each one of us." - Liz Coley, author of Pretty Girl-13. 

Stop by Thursday when the rest of the authors share their writing mission statements. 

Don't forget to check out the Author Insight archive!