Hope in the Mail: Reflections on Writing and Life

Want to write a novel? This book is the motivation you need Part writing guide and part memoir, this inspiring book from the author of Flipped and The Running Dream is like Bird by Bird for YA readers and writers.

Wendelin Van Draanen didn't grow up wanting to be a writer, but thirty books later, she's convinced that writing saved her life. Or, at least, saved her from a life of bitterness and despair. Writing helped her sort out what she thought and felt and wanted. And digging deep into fictional characters helped her understand the real people in her life better as well.

Wendelin shares what she's learned--about writing, life, and what it takes to live the writing life. This book is packed with practical advice on the craft: about how to create characters and plot a story that's exciting to read. But maybe even more helpful is the insight she provides into the persistence, and perseverance, it takes to live a productive, creative life. And she answers the age-old question Where do you get your ideas? by revealing how events in her own life became the seeds of her best-loved novels.

Hope in the Mail is a wildly inspirational read for anyone with a story to share.

Author: Wendelin Van Draanen
Publisher: Ember
Published: 09/28/2021
Pages: 304
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.55lbs
Size: 8.10h x 5.40w x 0.70d
ISBN13: 9781984894694
ISBN10: 1984894692
BISAC Categories:
- Young Adult Nonfiction | Inspirational & Personal Growth
- Young Adult Nonfiction | Language Arts | Composition & Creative Writing
- Young Adult Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Literary

About the Author
WENDELIN VAN DRAANEN was a classroom teacher for many years before turning to writing full-time. Her first Sammy Keyes mystery, Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief, won the coveted Edgar Award. She is also the author of many beloved stand-alone novels, including Flipped, The Running Dream, Wild Bird, and The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones. She lives in Central California with her husband. You can read more about her work online at WendelinVanDraanen.com or follow her on Twitter, Tumblr, or Instagram at @WendelinVanD--or on Facebook: @SammyKeyesBooks.