NYT Best Selling Author Julie Cross: Five things I would tell my unpublished self if I could back in time

Today I’ve invited NYT Best-Selling Author Julie Cross to discuss the five things she would tell her unpublished self if she could go back in time.

Take it away, Julie!

Hello, Jennifer, and thanks for having me. If I could go back in time, this is what I’d tell myself:

1)     Enjoy the freedom and innocence of pre-publication: This is a tough one because publication seemed so glittery and sparkly before I got there. And believe me, it is all of that and more. But it’s also a job. As in time to be professional, have deadlines, get serious…there’s no way around the loss of some of that pure enjoyment that comes before publication. Maybe it isn’t like that for everyone, but for me, I wouldn’t mind telling my pre-published self, “hey, relax a little, take it all in. It’s okay.”

2)     Travel to another country and write about it: I feel like every writer I know has done this except for me. I’m always looking for ways to take my writing to the next level, add depth of understanding. Plus, it would be really fun to say, “I’m in Ireland researching for my novel…” on my out of office email reply.

3)     Use Scrivener now! It took me until January of 2015 (nearly 6 years into my writing journey to pry myself from Microsoft Word. Scrivener is another word processor program like Word but it really works well for me and my brain. I tend to create all kinds of documents with lists, and brainstorming, and casting characters and planning future books in a series and then I save those documents in random places, with random names. Scrivener allows for all my notes, outlining, summaries, etc…to be right there in the document. You can see daily progress. I could go on forever but if I’ve intrigued you, Google it and check it out.

4)     Those amazing chapters you keep writing at 2am? Just don’t. Trust me.

5)     The first draft will always be the easiest part: I had very little idea of what went into getting a novel from draft 1 to bookstore shelves when I got my first book deal. It didn’t seem like there could be so much work left to do after writing THE END. Let’s just say I was a little shell-shocked going through the steps with that first book. And even now, I tend to struggle with all the re-reads. When I finish a project, I’m ready to move on.

Awesome! Thanks so much for stopping by Julie!

Julie’s new book was just released!

Find out more about CHASING TRUTH

At Holden Prep, the rich and powerful rule the school—and they’ll do just about anything to keep their dirty little secrets hidden.

When former con artist Eleanor Ames’s homecoming date commits suicide, she’s positive there’s something more going on. The more questions she asks, though, the more she crosses paths with Miles Beckett. He’s sexy, mysterious, arrogant…and he’s asking all the same questions.

Eleanor might not trust him—she doesn’t even like him—but they can’t keep their hands off of each other. Fighting the infuriating attraction is almost as hard as ignoring the fact that Miles isn’t telling her the truth…and that there’s a good chance he thinks she’s the killer.

Purchase Links:

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca | IndieBound | BAM | TBD  | Goodreads

About Julie Cross:

Julie Cross is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author of New Adult and Young Adult fiction, including the Tempest series, a young adult science fiction trilogy which includes Tempest, Vortex, Timestorm (St. Martin’s Press). She’s also the author of Letters to Nowhere series, Whatever Life Throws at You, Third Degree, Halfway Perfect, and many more to come!

Julie lives in Central Illinois with her husband and three children. She’s a former gymnast, longtime gymnastics fan, coach, and former Gymnastics Program Director with the YMCA. She’s a lover of books, devouring several novels a week, especially in the young adult and new adult genres.

Outside of her reading and writing credibility’s, Julie Cross is a committed–but not talented–long distance runner, creator of imaginary beach vacations, Midwest bipolar weather survivor, expired CPR certification card holder, as well as a ponytail and gym shoe addict.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Rafflecopter! Click below for a chance to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card + a paperback copy of Whatever Life Throws at You (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway