"Read everything you can on writing. Join online forums and critique groups, go to conferences, get feedback, and learn, learn, learn!"

3 likes

Source: Chevy Stevens (2011). “Still Missing”, p.148, ReadHowYouWant.com

About the author

Chevy Stevens

Author

Chevy Stevens is a bestselling author known for her psychological thrillers that delve into themes of trauma and survival, notably in 'Still Missing.'

All quotes by Chevy Stevens →

Same author

More quotes by Chevy Stevens

See all →
Chevy Stevens Author

"That first shrink I saw when I got back to Clayton Falls told me no one is a lost cause, but I think that’s bullshit. I think people can be so crushed, so broken, that they’ll never be anything more than a fragment of a whole person."

Read quote
Chevy Stevens Author

"My [story] outlines are usually about 5-6 pages long. I'm essentially telling myself the story in short form. I try to make it clear who the major characters are, what they want, and what obstacles they face."

Read quote
Chevy Stevens Author

"For me, it's important that I experience and feel what the characters are feeling. So I put myself in those moments, in their thoughts, and let it happen naturally. I write what I feel."

Read quote
Chevy Stevens Author

"Before I start a book, I talk over my characters with a friend who is a counselor. I like to make sure I have the right dynamics in place and understand each character's belief system, fears, coping mechanisms and things like that."

Read quote
Chevy Stevens Author

"I always write too long in the beginning, then it is a matter of going through it over and over again on subsequent drafts, looking for anything that slows down the narrative. It can be hard, cutting out parts I love, but I try to make the book as tight as possible so that the reader doesn't get bored."

Read quote